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TELEPHONE: 415/861-5019 1528 15TH STREET, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103 VOL. XIII NO. 50 DECEMBER 15, 1983 


PD Names Suspect in 
Twin Peaks Slaving 


by George Mendenhall 


Suspect: Timothy Reader. 

White - Male - 23 - 130 pounds - brown hair and eyes. Home base: Nashville, Tennessee. Possi¬ 
ble “Southern” accent. Using credit cards of Thomas Laskey, 42, who he allegedly murdered 
in San Francisco on November 23. Last known whereabouts: Reno, Nevada on November 24. 
Photo enclosed. Hair has since been cut to a shorter length. A warrant has been issued by the 
SFPD for murder, robbery, and auto theft. Suspect is sought by the Federal Bureau of Investiga¬ 
tion for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. 


This description is similar to 
information being circulated in 
Northern California and across 
the country. Local homicide In¬ 
spectors Jeff Brosch and Ed 
Erdelatz have reason to believe 
that Timothy Reeder hog-tied 
and murdered Thomas Laskey 
in the victim’s Twin Peaks 
apartment on November 23. 
Police entered the premises on 
Thanksgiving Day to discover 
the Napa Mental Hospital psy¬ 
chiatrist fully clothed on the 
floor. lie had been strangled to 
death by bare hands. Foul play 
had been suspected by Laskey ’s 
employ ers w hen he had not re¬ 
ported to work. 

Police investigators now have 
unraveled a possible sequence of 
events: Laskey met Reeder and 
brought him home. Reeder tied 
the victim's hands and feet to¬ 



Timothy Reeder, suspect sought by 
SFPD in Tu in Peaks slaying of I\apa 
Hospital psychiatrist. 


gether and strangled him. He 
took his wallet and his blue 1982 
Honda. Driving in a storm, the 
killer went off the highway into 
a snowbank near the inland 
town of Sutter Springs. \X hen he 
was assisted by Highway Patrol 
officers, Reeder told them he 
was “headed for Nevada City” 
and was sent on his way. 

Instead of Nevada City, the 
driver went to Reno, where he 
spent a night at the Midtown 
Lodge — using one of Laskey’s 
credit cards. Reeder was fearful 
of detection because the Sutter 
Springs patrolmen had taken his 
driver’s license information and 
the auto's license plate number. 
He ditched the car eight blocks 
from the lodge, where it was 
later found by police. The stolen 
auto report led to Reeder’s de¬ 
tection. A national police tracer 
revealed that the suspect was 
from Nashville, where he had a 
minor police record. A police 
photo was obtained. 

SEARCH CONTINUES 

Inspector Brosch states that 
he has no idea where Reeder is 
at this time nor is there any way 
to determine how much money 
he has with him. Laskey was 
somew hat of a recluse in his Gay 
lifesty le so none of his friends 
know if there was any excess 
money on the premises that 
could have been stolen. The 
suspect can continue to use the 
Laskey credit cards but eventu¬ 
ally he could be apprehended for 
using them. 

Many Bay Area Reporter 
readers contacted Inspector 
Brosch after the murder was re¬ 
ported in our lead story last 
week. The officer praised Bay 
Area Reporter for assisting in 
the inquiry and said the infor¬ 
mation obtained about Laskey 
and his lifestyle is assisting in the 
investigation. Brosch said that 
little had been known about the 
victim earlier except that “he 
kept to himself and would bring 
people to his apartment that he 
picked up on the streets, every 
once in awhile.” He said two of 
Laskey ’s favorite Gay bars were 
the Alta Plaza and Pacific Ex¬ 
change on upper Fillmore St. 

The doctor entered psychiatry 
after his eyesight began to fail a 
few years ago and he could no 
longer operate (he was a sur¬ 
geon!. The native of Chicago 
had graduated from Loyola 
School of Medicine there in 
1966. He moved to San Fran¬ 
cisco in the 19T0’s. 

(Continued on page 22) 


Oakland Goes for 
Gay Rights 

First Round Sails Through 8 to 0 

Oakland Gay/Lesbian activists were just a bit sur¬ 
prised Tuesday night when their Gay rights ordinance 
sailed through the Oakland City Council 8 to 0. 

The ordinance, authored by attorney Matt Coles, 
passed its first of three necessary votes. Tuesday’s meant 
that the issue was to he put up for consideration. The 
preliminary stage is one that tests the waters and where 
strategists often decide whether it is worth pushing an 
issue and losing it in a resounding defeat. 

Mary Ann Brownstein, speaking for the East Bay Gay 
Demo Club, said that much of the credit goes to Coun¬ 
cil woman Marge Gibson. The Oakland group has spent 
considerable energy pre-educating the community on the 
issues. And Gibson felt the time was right. 

Brownstein said that the second vote is next week 
Tuesday , December 20, and they expect opposition. How 
heavy they are not sure hut feel the large Mormon 
presence in Oakland will come out against the Gay rights 
ordinance. 

They have asked for Gay men and Lesbians to turn out 
next week in force. Tuesday, some 60 to 70 East Bay 
Gays were in the council chamber. The bill covers dis¬ 
crimination in employment, housing, and all services in 
the city of Oakland. The Oakland bill closes the loop¬ 
holes that have surfaced in the Berkeley and San Fran¬ 
cisco ordinances. 

The (Tty Council meets in the City Center (14th Street 
& (Tty Council Way!, on BART the Broadway/14th Street 
station. 

For more information contact Joe Acanfora (654-8605) 
or Tom Brougham (843-2459). ■ 



DA Charges Gay Employment 
Service with Irregularities 

No License, Soliciting Funds, 
Accepting Donations 


by Allen White 


Ken Kline has been indicted by the District Attorney’s 
office for three misdemeanor counts relating to the opera¬ 
tion of his Gay Employment Service. 

The operation was charged with operating without the 
proper license, accepting donations without a police permit, 
and making claims that they had a permit to accept donations. 


The Gav Employment Ser¬ 
vice has been a controversial 
business since its opening last 
spring. Staff have claimed that 
they were a “service” and not an 
“employment agency.” They 
collected a donation and then 
gave information and assistance 
to people seeking employment. 
The “business” claimed that a 
third of the people using their 
service were finding employ¬ 
ment. One of their biggest prob¬ 
lems stemmed from the other 
two thirds who had paid their 
money and did not find work. 

The Bay Area Reporter 
reported on the activity of the 
Gay Employment Service earlier 
this year after receiving a signifi¬ 
cant number of letters complain¬ 
ing of the business. Readers 


complained of how the agency 
performed in working with them 
to find a job. 

District Attorney Arlo Smith 
has been highly critical of 
employment businesses who col¬ 
lect a fee in advance of a job. In 
the past three years he has closed 
down three employment organi¬ 
zations for violations of state 
employment agency laws. 

For Ken Kline to qualify for 
the pre-trial diversion program 
the District Attorney is going to 
demand that he conform to the 
laws governing employment 
agencies in California. 

Ken Kline and his attorney 
Susan Abbott chose not to com¬ 
ment to the Bay Area Reporter 
regarding the charges. ■ 


In This Issue 


Where goest the Health Benefits Task Force under Herb 
Donaldson - George Mendenhall.p. 4 

The Headache at the Headdress Ball - Allen White . p. 4 


Fact Finders find Debbie Reynolds' fundraiser above board - 
Paul Lorch...p. 5 


Christmas in Gayland: The Haight - Dianne Gregory p. 18 
The Tenderloin - Ronnetttte p. 19 

























TUESDAY-SATURDAY 9 PM-2 AM 
SUNDAY 6 PM-2 AM 
CLOSED MONDAY 


2140 MARKET STREET, NEAR CHURCH 
(FORMERLY ALFIES) 

626-2543 




REGULAR ADMISSION 


ADMISSION TUESDAY-THURSDAY 
FRIDAY-SATURDAY 
SUNDAY 

SPECIALS TUESDAY-SATURDAY 


SUNDAY 


$ 2.00 

$4.00 

$ 2.00 

9- 10 NO ADMISSION, $1 DRINKS* 

10- 11 REGULAR ADMISSION, INCLUDING ONE DRINK 

6- 7 NO ADMISSION, $1 DRINKS* 

7- 8 REGULAR ADMISSION, INCLUDING ONE DRINK 

*BEER, WINE, WELL DRINKS 


WATCH FOR ROCK OF THE 80 S ON MONDAYS 

CHRISTMAS TEA DANCE 
NEW YEAR S EVE 

d.j:s rob kimbel 

DON WOOD 
TRIPRINGWALD 
MIKE LEWIS 

LIGHTING DIRECTOR CHARLES MINOR 


CALL THE SPECTRUM LINE 621-7991 FOR EVENTS 


BAY AREA REPORTER DECEMBER 15. 1983 PAGE 2 











Tk DAKIN- 


If .". 

Dress for Christmas this year at Headlines, 

or dress your friends with a clothing gift 
M from Headlines ^ 


Starting Thursday, December 15, 
Headlines will be open every daytill 11:00pm 
except Sunday till 9:00pm. 


1217 POLK 


SAN FRANCISCO 


54^5\STRO 



BAY AREA REPORTER DECEMBER 15, 1983 PAGE 3 
























Health Plan for 'Others’ 
of Single City Workers 

Benefits Task Force Picks Way Through 
Political Minefield 

by George Mendenhall 

The headlines of last December have faded in memory: LIVE-IN LOVERS VETOED BY 
MAYOR, GAYS RALLS TO PROTEST AT CITS HALL. 

One year later Mayor Eeinstein's Task Force on Equal Benefits is beginning to formulate 
recommendations that it hopes will extend health benefits to same-sex companions of city 
employees. The mayor says she wants something that is “do-able" which Municipal Judge Herb 
Donaldson, who chairs the panel, reads to mean “politically feasible.” 

“Equal Pay for Equal Work" is the theme the task force will probably be stressing when 
it recommends to the mayor early next year.* Donaldson is avoiding talk about “validating our 
relationships," although he recognizes that might be one of the effects. Although the chair 
stresses that he is speaking only for himself, he was willing to be interviewed in order to explain 
where he thinks the 11-member task force is headed: 

For example, the city pays for all 
of the Kaiser Plan for an em¬ 
ployee, but if a spouse is added 
the payment is $56 monthly or 
$107 monthly if children are 
included. 

The inclusion of spouses and 
children has caused a drain on 
the city’s trust fund to provide 
continuing service. That is w hy 
Health Board members are fear¬ 
ful of adding a new classifica¬ 
tion. Board chair W alter John¬ 
son, who sits on the task force, 
says, “What we are talking 
about is an area that has never 
been explored before. Rates 
could go up considerably and 
the city w ill not give us more to 
operate with because of the city 
charter limit.” 

Muni Judge llerb Donaldson has been heading up the mayor's City Robert Zimmerman, an actu- 

U orkers' Fringe Benefits.Task Force. (Photo: Kink) __ ary specialist with Kaiser Plan, 

agrees with Johnson. The panel 



member adds, “This whole con¬ 
cept is an awesome idea that 
many believe is impossible. 
There is no question that adding 
additional people will mean 
more money will be needed to 
operate the system.” However, 
Zimmerman is optimistic that 
something can be worked out. 
The key, he believes, is that the 
recommendations will include a 
realistic limitation on who can 
be added. 

CAY MEMBERS RESPOND 

Mayor Feinstein appointed 
two Lesbians and three Gay men 
to the task force in May. They 
have attended almost every 
meeting and are determined that 
the recommendations to the 
mayor be realistic both in not 
bankrupting the health system 
and in what is politically possi¬ 
ble. This means satisfying the 
mayor, whose recommendation 
to the Health Board will have 
considerable weight, and the 
Health Board members, who 
must keep the system fiscally 
healthy. 

Peter Nardoza, the mayor’s 
aide, says he is optimistic that 
the problem can be solved . . . 
Phyllis Lyon, Chair of the Hu¬ 
man Rights Commission, says it 
would be ideal if the city charter 
were changed so the city would 
be paying more into the system 
. . . Connie O’Connor, past 
president of the Toklas Demo¬ 
crats, wonders if the insurance 
people will ever find it to be 
workable. She says, “They are 
not open-minded about this.” 

. . . Sal Rosselli, Theatre 
Janitors Union business agent, 
urges, “We are not trying to 
legalize relationships. W e be¬ 
lieve that it is not equal pay if we 
cannot include our partner.” 

POLLING EMPLOYEES 

Donaldson believes that the 


fear of adding same r sex partners 
is not based on fact. He is con¬ 
vinced that few people w ill opt 
to include such partners. Cur¬ 
rently there are 38,000 people in 
the system — almost every city 
employee and retiree. 

Pollster Mervyn Field has 
polled a cross-section of 2,000 to 
determine whom employees 
might like to include — relatives 
or same-sex partners. The ques¬ 
tions related to sexual orienta¬ 
tion, marital status, and the age, 
sex, and relationship of possible 
new participants. 

The chair says the survey re¬ 
sults, which will be revealed at 
today ’s task force meeting, will 
have an effect on the final delib¬ 
erations. 

BRITT S MEASURE 

Donaldson believes that the 
public concluded that the origi¬ 
nal “domestic partners” pro¬ 
posal was .validating Gay rela¬ 
tionships. He concludes that he 
may, in effect, partly do that but 
wonders if Gay people really feel 
they need' their relationships 
validated at City Hall. “I don’t 
need Society,” he says, “to vali¬ 
date any relationship that I 
have.” 

The task force chair is hopeful 
that the controversy over the 
earlier Britt measure will be 
avoided when his panel recom¬ 
mends to the mayor. He believes 
that last December ‘’we were 
ahead of the nation — and 
learned that we were also ahead 
of our community.” 

W hen the mayor’s group re¬ 
commends, hopefully by Febru¬ 
ary, its members are optimistic 
that their months of deliberation 
w ill not have been in vain — that 
they will have a plan that is both 
fiscally and politically feasible. 


Heads Roll at Headdress Ball 

by Allen White 

Mama Peck got more than she bargained for last Saturday night at the Headdress Ball at 
California Hall. 

Before the night was over, Chronicle columnist Warren Hinkle saw a man arrested at his table 
for a stabbing, another removed in handcuffs, a third drag queen have a person arrested. And 
when it was all over Mama Peck’s husband was in the sixth floor jail at the Hall of Justice. 



Giving Head for Daze. More astounding costumes at the Headdress Ball 
— II. to r.) Big D, Baroness von Dieckoff. and Gladys Bumps. For sure. 
(Photo: Rink I 


REGISTRATION: Super¬ 
visor Harry Britt's "domestic 
partners" proposal had called 
for a city-wide registration of all 
same-sex partners at City Hall. 
Donaldson is talking in terms of 
a simple administrative act of 
placing a same-sex partner in the 
city health plan at the Health 
Services office — the same as is 
now done for spouses and child¬ 
ren of city employees. 

TIME RESTRICTION: A 

married employee can now reg¬ 
ister his/her new spouse im¬ 
mediately in the system. Don¬ 
aldson says most task force 
members agree that it would be 
virtually impossible to receive 
, approval of a same-sex partner 
unless there is a time restriction 
on the relationship. The chair is 
proposing a 90-day to 6-month 
relationship to qualify the part¬ 
ner. He recognizes that this is 
unequal treatment but essential, 
as “we have to first get our foot 
in the door." Donaldson sug¬ 
gests that the time restriction be 
imposed on a 1-year trial basis. 

RELATIVES: Mayor Fein¬ 
stein emphasized when she 
vetoed the Britt proposal that 
there should be an exploration as 
to how city employ ees might be 
able to name any live-in relative 


as a participant in the city health 
system. Donaldson believes 
“she may have said that for po¬ 
litical purpose, to neutralize the 
stigma of her vetoing the ‘do¬ 
mestic partners’ legislation." 
Task force members unani¬ 
mously agree that relatives could 
not be included because older 
and ill people who would enter 
would deplete the assets of the 
sy stem and make the rates pro¬ 
hibitive. That is a reality Don¬ 
aldson say s he does not like but 
accepts. 

DEPLETING RESOURCES 

The city charter establishes 
the Health Services System 
Board as the sole authority on 
whether new people may enter 
the system or not. The mayor 
and Board of Supervisors may 
only recommend to the indepen¬ 
dent body. It is charged with 
keeping the city employ ee health 
plan fiscally healthy — a nearly 
impossible task with rising med¬ 
ical costs. The charter limits 
how much the city is obligated 
to pay into the plan. 

The city pays for either all or 
almost-all of the employee’s 
care, depending on w hich of five 
plans is chosen. Spouses and 
children pay the full amount. 


It all started Saturday night 
as the annual Headdress Ball 
was presented at California 
Hall. This event was possibly 
the last public paid event at the 
legendary Polk Street audito¬ 
rium. For years it has been the 
site of numerous Gay events. In 
the next few weeks, new owners 
will take over and reports indi¬ 
cate the auditorium will be turn¬ 
ed into office space. 

Midway through the evening 
the Empress Ginger took center 
stage. Ginger stopped the fes¬ 
tivities and had every body give 
a champagne toast to the old 
building. 

Shortly after the toast, the ac¬ 
tion began. Out of nowhere a 
hy sterical person started yelling 
as a butch number tried to se¬ 
cure him with a pair of hand¬ 
cuffs. Turned out the butch 
number was an undercover cop 
who wanted the man out of the 
building. The duo departed with 
another person, both of whom 
were removed from the table of 
Chronicle writer Warren Hinkle 
and political strategist Jack 
Davis. Hinkle, who thrives on 
the color of the city, perked up 
as the tempo quickened'. 

Out on the street the action 
continued as one Lady Natasha 
hit the streets screaming, “That 
man stabbed my roommate.” 
W ith in seconds Mama Peck was 
also out on the street yelling, 
“They’re arresting my hus¬ 
band.” 

The police, somewhat embar¬ 
rassed by the turn of events, ex¬ 
plained that the man was being 


arrested for an outstanding war¬ 
rant and also for stabbing a per¬ 
son. Mama Peck, a rather large, 
elderly drag queen, was in dis¬ 
belief at the charges. 

It seems the man got to Lady 
Natasha’s apartment by invita¬ 
tion and chose not to get in¬ 
volved with the residents. It 
might be called “homosexual 
panic defense” if not for the ap¬ 
parent circumstances that Lady 
Natasha and friends were trying 
to “rape” the man. In fact, a 
stabbing did take place, and the 
person is still recovering from his 
very serious wounds. 

Mama Peck’s protesting the 
arrest with the claim that she 
once owned the Headdress Ball 
proved of no effect. As the cops 
took the man away, Warren 


Hinkle and party departed the 
affair with Hinkle giving a sly 
smile. 

Meanwhile, back in the audi¬ 
torium the Widow Norton, Jose, 
w as slapping his matronly thighs 
in uncontrollable laughter. W ith 
a few slams at the character of 
Mama Peck, Jose was delighted 
to see the plight of his former 
adversary. According to Jose, 
about a decade ago Mama Peck 
tried to grab the title of Queen 
Mother away from Jose. In the 
land of Imperial Court, this was 
like trying to steal God. Mama 
Peck didn’t quite come out on 
top, and Jose won’t let him for¬ 
get it. 

Across the hall, a waiter 
named Christopher was having 
(Continued on page 6) 


Mayor’s Task Force on 
Equal Benefits 

Herb Donaldson, S.F\ Municipal Judge* 

Lou Giraudo, President, Board of Permit Appeals 
Naomi Gray, Consultant, Naomi Gray Associates 
Walter Johnson, President, Health Services System Board 
Robert Katz, Actuary, Health Services System Board 
Phyllis Lyon, Chair, Human Rights Commission 
Juan Rael, Actuary, Health Services System 
Alexis Reakin, Consultant, United Public Employees Union 
Connie O’Connor, Captain, Sheriff’s Department 
Sal Rosselli, Business Manager, Janitor’s Local 9 
Robert Zimmerman, Policy Manager, Kaiser Hospital 

Staff: Peter Nardoza, Office of the Mayor 
* Task Force Chair 


BAY AREA REPORTER DECEMBER 15, 1983 PAGE 4 











Arizona Solon Puts Foot 
in Mouth on Gay Slur 

State’s Top Paper Blasts Indiscretion 

by Allen White 


Fact Finders Clear AlDS kS 
Fundraiser 

Call Charges Baseless and Sensational 


1 he Arizona Republic, the largest newspaper in the state 
of Arizona slammed down on a prominent elected official last 
week for saying, “Why don’t they bring in the homosexuals 
and lesbians from San Francisco and let’s experiment on 
them. The unsuccessful attempt at sarcasm was made by 
Maricopa County Supervisor Hawley Atkinson while discuss¬ 
ing a ban on selling dogs for research. 


Atkinson is the chairman of 
the Maricopa County Board of 
Supervisors which encompasses 
Phoenix. Following his remarks 
last week calls came in for his 
resignation. The most powerful 
attack came from the Arizona 
Republic. The paper asked how 
Atkinson, as the highest elected 
official in one of the largest 
counties in the nation, viewed 
others in his political realm. The 
paper asked how he felt of Jews, 
offering that they could tell 
Atkinson something of experi¬ 
ments on humans — such as 
flesh being used for lampshades. 
They then itemized Blacks, 
Vietnamese and Hispanics as 
others whom Atkinson also 
might view as subhuman. 

The editorial concluded by 
saying, “Surely, when an elected 
official assumes the characteris¬ 
tics of a buffoon and, worse, 
cannot distinguish between in¬ 
telligent humor and loathsome 
wisecracking, then he has sham¬ 
ed his office and embarrassed 
the public he serves.” 

Finally the Republic 
editorialized, “If Supervisor 
Atkinson has a shred of honor, 
he will turn the county’s leader¬ 
ship over to someone the public 
can take seriously, and, more 
important, can respect.” 

Kirk Baxter, head of the 
Arizona Lesbian and Gay Task 
Force told the Bay Area 
Reporter that through the 
strength of Gay political power 
they hoped to run Atkinson out 
of office next year. Originally, 
there were hopes of getting the 
supervisor recalled. That plan 
was shelved when it was realiz¬ 
ed that it would take over seven 
months to mount and carry out 
a campaign. 

Also discarded was a plan to 
pressure Atkinson to resign as 
chairman of the board of super¬ 
visors. In Phoenix the board 
rotates the top office between 
themselves on an annual basis. 
In less than a month Atkinson’s 
term will expire. 

Baxter said that Gays in the 
county are going to work to 
mobilize a campaign to find a 
candidate that will win next 
November. Atkinson, 67, repre¬ 
sents the conservative retirement 
community of Sun City. Then- 
state representative Republican 
Jim Ratliff, caused a furor in 
1981 when he suggested that 
abortion be banned except in 
cases where a white women was 
raped by “a colored fellow.” 

Last Saturday, Hawley At¬ 
kinson issued an apology to the 
press and was hoping the entire 
matter might just go away. He 
told the Bay Area Reporter that 
until last week he didn’t know 
there was a homosexual com¬ 
munity in Phoenix and didn’t 
know the meaning of the word 
“homophobic.” 

In his letter of apology he said 
his remarks had escalated into 
an international incident. When 
questioned why it might have 
reached international propor¬ 
tions he said, “Sonny, I knew it 
was international when a radio 
station in Adelaide, Australia 
called me to appear on a talk 
radio show.” 

Now that the man has felt the 
political clout of Gays in 


Phoenix, he said he wants to 
work with the Gay community. 
He said he wants tq not only 
meet with members of the com¬ 
munity but said he will fight to 
right any wrong the county had 
done. 



Arizona’s new boner winner, 
Hawley Atkinson. 


Art Hegyi, a book store owner 
in Maricopa County is taking 
the supervisor up on his offer of 
cooperation and is going to ask 
him to introduce legislation to 
ban employ ment discrimination 
against Gays. Hegyi said the 
remarks by the supervisor hit the 
Gay community hard. For Art 
Hegyi, the impact was very per¬ 
sonal because three of his good 
friends have died in Phoenix of 
AIDS in the last few weeks. 
Hegyi found the official’s com¬ 
ments about “experimentation” 
repulsive. 

Use SF homosexu¬ 
als and lesbians rather 
than animals for ex¬ 
periments — says Ari¬ 
zona Supervisor. 

Gay activist Kirk Baxter said 
they have gotten support from 
the Grey Panthers, the National 
Organization of Women and 
others in their attempt to remove 
Atkinson from office. He be¬ 
lieves there are over 100,000 
Gay people in the county which 
has a total population of over a 
million and a half persons. 

Rev. Fred Patterson, Pastor 
of the Casa De Cristo Metro¬ 
politan Community Church said 
that the reaction to Atkinson’s 
homophobic remarks are an in¬ 
dication of the trends in 
Phoenix. A few weeks ago Jerry 
Falwell came to Phoenix, and he 
was greeted by “Hello, Jerry” 
flyers prepared by the MCC 
church. A sign of the times is the 
Gay church draws a larger turn¬ 
out each week than the 300 
people Jerry Falwell was able to 
attract at his Phoenix meeting. 

In a strange twist of events, 
Kirk Baxter said that an apol¬ 
ogy would not be enough. 
“When Mr. Atkinson invites us 
to his home for dinner, ” Baxter 
said, “that will be enough.” 

Atkinson, when told of Bax¬ 
ter’s comments said, “How 
many of them? I think it would 
be more kindly if they would in¬ 
vite me to their house for 
dinner.” 

Asked if he would go, he 
replied, “No.” ■ 


by Paul Lorch 


In an attempt to resolve the lone, yet persistent complaints of a local journalist, the National 
AIDS Foundation set up an investigative committee. In October, the officially labeled “Task 
Force to Review the Davies Hall (Debbie Reynolds! Event” began'its work. 

The fact-finding commission was made up by Richard Keller, Franklin Jacobson, Harry 
Acevedo, and Thomas Horn. (Keller is a personnel director; Jacobson and Horn are attorneys, 
and Acevedo is one of the owners of Sutter’s Mill.) On December 1 the group reported in. 


Also part of the Task Force’s 
charge was to develop a frame¬ 
work for future use by the 
AIDS/KS Foundation. The 
fact-finders put in 118 hours, 
went through over 100 pages of 
documents, and privately inter¬ 
viewed the June fundraiser’s 
producer, co-chairs, accoun¬ 
tants, and Phil Conway, Execu¬ 
tive Director of the Foundation. 
The critical journalist, Sentinel 
editor Gary Schweikhart, origi¬ 
nally agreed to serve on the task 
force, then reneged. The report 
noted, “He declined to partici¬ 
pate in any capacity.” 

December 1, the fact-finders 
presented their six-page report 
to the National Foundation. Ex¬ 
ecutive Director Conway re¬ 
leased it to the press Decem¬ 
ber 9. 

The committee found the 
criticisms of the Sentinel writer 
groundless. They went issue by 
issue from undocumented bills 
to use of non-Gay businesses. 
On charge after charge they con¬ 
cluded “not true.” On the criti¬ 
cism of the use of complimen¬ 
tary tickets as lost income, they 
labeled it a “preposterous notion 
with no basis in fact.” 

The committee’s dealings 
with Schweikhart deteriorated 


rapidly . At first he agreed to 
serve. After the first meeting the 
report stated “Schweikhart in¬ 
formed the Committee that, as 
an investigative reporter com¬ 
mitted to covering the Founda¬ 
tion and its activities, he would 
not serve objectively and would 
not make any recommendations 
or constructive criticism to the 
Board. Mr. Schweikhart was 
asked to remain on the Commit¬ 
tee, to participate with it, and to 
honor his .commitment made at 
the first meeting. Mr. Schweik¬ 
hart declined to do so and 
resigned.” 

The fact-finders requested 
that Schweikhart, who had at¬ 
tacked the event and its pro¬ 
ducers in issue after issue of the 
bi-weekly, “meet with them and 
make specific his criticisms of 
the event.” Mr. Schweikhart, 
however, declined the invitation 
and refused to either comment 
on or criticize the event and its 
production. Reportedly he told 
the committee he would take 
care of them in his newspaper. 

★ ★ ★ 

The fact-finders also reviewed 
the Davies Hall gala to discover 
strengths and weaknesses. The 
June 23 event netted $43,000, 
the largest single night’s take in 


San Francisco Gay history. The 
committee felt more money 
could and should have been net¬ 
ted. The event was put on with 
21 days preparation. More time 
was recommended, along with 
more publicity and lower ticket 
prices. 

The committee called for an 
experienced press coordinator 
for future similar events. Also, 
they urged the securing of “pro¬ 
fessionals who have had prior 
experience for events of this 
nature and someone who can 
devote the necessary time and 
energy it takes to get the job 
done.” 

Of the $43,000 raised, 
$10,000 went to the national lob¬ 
bying effort for AIDS/KS in 
Washington, DC; $10,000 went 
for patient care and medical re¬ 
search; $15,000 went to the 
AIDS/KS Foundation and its 
program at 54 Tenth Street, and 
$3,500 was targeted for the re¬ 
furbishing of the AIDS waiting 
room at SF General Hospital. 

One result of the fracas is that 
organized AIDS/KS fundrais¬ 
ing in San Francisco has for all 
purposes stopped. The local and 
national foundations are surviv¬ 
ing on government grants and 
private contributions. ■ 


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BAY AREA REPORTER DECEMBER 15. 1983 PAGE 5 





























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US Court of Appeals: Gays 
Unacceptable for Military 

Civilians Can t Overrule Military Code 

by George Mendenhall 

A three-person U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled last week that it had 
little legal right as a civilian court to restrict personnel injustices in the military. The decision, 
carried to its logical conclusion, means that the U.S. military is to be viewed as an uncontrollable, 
independent body — not subject to civilian review. The analysis was in the rejection of career 
soldier Perry Watkins’ attempt to re-enlist after 16 years as an openly Gay person. 

“Simply put, military and civilian life are regulated by two separate systems of justice,” the 
court said, “to some extent parallel but nevertheless distinct. 

“The encroachment of civilian court power into military life must necessarily be limited, 
for judges are not given the task of running the Army.” 

The justices said they could judge military regulations if they were “repugnant” (inconsis¬ 
tent or hostile) to the U.S. Constitution or statutory law, but otherwise they insisted the courts 
have no power to intercede in military matters. 


ANTI-GAY PREJUDICE 

The decision rejecting Sgt. 
Watkins’ attempt to re-enlist in 
Seattle in 1981 was unanimous 
but so blatantly far flung that 
one of the justices, William Nor¬ 
ris, signed a separate opinion 
that chided the Army for its in¬ 
humanity. He wrote, “Our na¬ 
tion has lost a fine soldier and he 
has suffered a manifest injustice. 
To me the Army’s current bias 
against homosexuals is no less 
repugnant to fundamental con¬ 
stitutional principles than was 
its long-standing prejudice 
against prejudice against minor¬ 
ity servicemen.” 

Ironically , Watkins told the 
Army he was Gay when he en¬ 
listed 16 years ago and has 
repeatedly stated that he is Gay 
when his right to remain in the 
military has been challenged. 
However, when he expressed a 
desire to re-enlist again in 1981, 
the Army said, “No.” He won 
an appeal in 1982 when U.S. 
District Court Judge Barbara 
Rothstein ruled that since the 
Army knew he was Gay all the 
way along it had no justification 
to reject his 1981 re-enlistment. 
She urged that Watkins had an 
exemplary Army life and was re¬ 
peatedly praised by his super¬ 
visors during the hearing. 

Watkins’ performance record 
was a factor before 1981. The 
military had several important 
reversals in its attempt to oust 
Gay people up until that year. 
Before 1982 it was “discre¬ 
tionary” whether a Gay person 
w ould be kept in or discharged. 
In late 1981 a new regulation 
was put into effect. It no longer 
required that the military prove 
that there is a nexus (relation¬ 
ship) between job performance 
and homosexuality. The new 


rule rejects everyone discovered 
to be homosexual — with no 
exceptions. 

This reporter attended the 
September 12, 1983, appeal 
hearing here in the ornate ap¬ 
peals courtroom at 7th and Mis¬ 
sion Streets. The justices’ ques¬ 
tions were primarily directed to 
the government attorney and 
were highly critical in nature. 
“Didn’t W atkins have reason to 
believe that being openly Gay 
was acceptable after 16 years in 
the Army?” “Isn’t it a constitu¬ 
tional right to re-enlist? ” “Does 
the Army also investigate and 
discharge for illegal heterosexual 
acts? ” The government attorney 
w as clearly on the defense. Fol¬ 
lowing the hearings Watkins, his 
attorney — James Lobenz of the 
American Civil Liberties Union 
— and this reporter surmised 
that there was a possible victory. 
Three months later the three 
justices surprised and ruled for 
the Army. 

“They want to destroy my 
career because I am homosex¬ 
ual,” Watkins told the Bay Area 
Reporter. “There was a case on 
our base where a man had incest 
with his 12-year-old son, and the 
Army said it was not its concern 
because it was a private matter. 
There was another incident of 
incest where a soldier fondled 
the genitals of his 16-year-old 
daughter. He admitted it and 
was reduced one rank . . . The 
issue is homosexuality itself.” 

The San Francisco Chronicle 
editorialized on December 13, 
“Those many years of impec¬ 
cable service have established a 
strong presumption of the ser¬ 
geant’s right to his job. There is 
a great deal of sympathy for 
Watkins — a good soldier who 
deserves to serve his brief time 
left until retirement.” 



Sgt. Perry W atkins receives stun¬ 
ning rebuke from US Court of 
Appeals. 

The ACLU’s Lobenz states 
that he will ask for a rehearing 
of the Watkins case and will con¬ 
sider asking the U.S. Supreme 
Court to review the entire case. 


Gay activists have been 
alerted by a recent report from 
Washington, DC, that the Air 
Force is investigating homo¬ 
sexuality in its ranks in the Pen¬ 
tagon and Washington, DC, 
area bases. Over 5(1 men have 
been singled out for investiga¬ 
tions. There are also new Air 
Force investigations underway 
in the Seattle area. 

The recent military trial of 
Navy Commander Gerald Van- 
derwier of Norfolk, Virginia, is 
also of concern. He was found 
guilty of sodomy with an enlist¬ 
ed man. He had 19 spotless 
years of military service. Van- 
derwier is married and has four 
children. His career has been 
ended. 

Thus far this year the Navy 
has discharged 12 officers and 
1,155 enlisted personnel on. 
homosexual charges. ■ 


Headdress Ball Headaches 


(Continued from page 4) 
his own problems. Seems he re¬ 
turned with a drink order for 
half a dozen people. They were 
leaving, without paying for then- 
drinks. The reason, they said 
undercover cops were arresting 
them for snorting cocaine at 
their table. Christopher wasn’t 
unhappy about not getting a hit 
but was miffed that the party- 
goers didn’t even bother to leave 
a tip. 

As Saturday night came to an 
end at the Headdress Ball, the 
Lady Natasha grandly marched 
down the ramp and received 
$500 in cash as the first prize 
winner for the night. 

Monday morning the man ar¬ 
rested for the stabbing was ar¬ 
raigned before a Municipal 
Court judge at the Hall of Jus¬ 
tice. Still wearing his outfit from 
Saturday night, he was impres¬ 


sive as he stood before the judge 
at midmorning in his full black- 
tie tuxedo. 


In stating the aim of the 
Headdress Ball, Empress Gin¬ 
ger said, “Our aim is to offer a 
fun entertainment, and an ex¬ 
citing event at reasonable cost.” 
Ginger came through. 



Life Around Town columnist Warren Hinkle and political maker Jack Davis 
watched more than heads at the Headdress Ball. (Photo: Rink) 


BAY AREA REPORTER DECEMBER 15. 1983 PAGE 6 





































DC Archbishop Gules 
Pro-Gay Priest 

Washington, DC, Roman Catholic Archbishop James 
Hickey has banished Father Robert Nugent from his arch¬ 
diocese. It was the culmination of a six-year battle to remove 
Nugent from the head of New W ays Ministry, Inc. in Mount 
Rainier, Maryland. 


Hickey, according to DC’s 
W ashington Blade, has been a 
consistent critic of Nugent, call¬ 
ing his work “a scandal” and 
“ambiguous and unclear with 
regard to the morality of homo¬ 
sexual activity.’ 

In early November Hickey 
sent a letter to the priest’s 
superiors in the Salvatorian 
order (known otherwise as the 
Society of the Divine Savior). 
His superiors sent him out of 
Hickey's territory and last week 
his provincial told him not to 
return. According to Philadel¬ 
phia’s Gay News, the arch¬ 
bishop threatened to raise the 
matter in Rome if his request 
was not heeded. 

Father Nugent ran New 
W ays along with Sister Jeannine 
Gramick, a member of the 
School Sisters of Notre Dame. 
New W ays is an outreach pro¬ 
gram concerned with education, 
reconciliation, and justice. 

It lists the following statement 
of purpose: “New W ays Minis¬ 
try seeks to promote under¬ 
standing and theological dia¬ 
logue, reflective of honest 
human experience. As a means 
of accomplishing this, we feel 
that intellectual responsibility 
demands the presentation of a 
broad spectrum of sociological, 
psychological, historical, and 
theological data as it pertains to 
the issue of homosexuality, in 
order to convey a realistic pic¬ 
ture of the topic in question.” 

The New Ways Board of Di¬ 
rectors was incensed by the 
archbishop’s banishment of 
their founder. Mostly profes¬ 
sional laypeople, they immedi¬ 
ately put out a press release pro¬ 
testing the decision. They said 
they would not give up. The 
Board let the archbishop know 
that New W ays is a legal entity, 
as a civilly incorporated body in 
the state of Maryland as a non¬ 
profit, charitable, educational 
organization. 

The Board protested, “. . . 
with pride and deep conviction 
we, the Board of New Ways 
Ministry, pledge to continue to 
expand the work of New Ways 
Ministry.” In addition to the 
usual workshops, retreats, re¬ 
search, publications, and the 
Catholic Coalition for Gay Civil 
Rights project, New Ways Min¬ 
istry has just received a grant to 
undertake a new project con¬ 
cerning members of religious 
communities and sexual orien¬ 
tation. 

The Board continued, “In 
union with others who are ex¬ 
periencing the wave of increased 
repressive tendencies in the 

AIDS Hotline Expands 

The San Francisco AIDS/KS 
Foundation has expanded its 
hotline program to include 
weekend and evening coverage. 
Callers can receive up-to-date 
information Monday through 
Thursday from 9 AM to 9 PM; 
Fridays from 9 AM to 6 PM; 
and Saturdays from 11 AM to 
5 PM. The hotline number is 
(415) 863-AIDS in San Fran- 
csco. In Northern California 
outside of San. Francisco the 
number is (800) FOR-AIDS. 

Volunteers, says Lyn Paleo, 
are still needed to help staff the 
hotline. Hotline volunteers pro¬ 
vide callers with medical refer¬ 
rals and information about 
AIDS and risk reduction advice. 


Church, we call upon concerned 
organizations and individuals to 
continue and to increase then- 
moral, spiritual, and financial 
support of this vitally important 
ministry. We especially urge 
religious congregations, peace 
and justice groups, parish and 
diocesan organizations, as well 
as national Catholic groups and 
others who have firsthand 
knowledge and experience of our 
work to join us in our efforts on 
behalf of justice and Spirit-filled 
renewal within the Church.” 

New W ays has been national¬ 
ly recognized as a prophetic cat¬ 
alyst through its efforts to bring 
the sensitive and complex issue 
of homosexuality to the atten¬ 
tion of the Catholic Church 
community at all levels. 

Nugent’s superiors would not 
say where the priest would be 
reassigned. ■ 


Maud’s Party for Norman 

by Konstantin Berlandt 

Maud's and Amelia's owner Rikki Streicher gave an un¬ 
qualified endorsement of the Pat Norman campaign for city 
Supervisor at a mostly Lesbian send-off from Maud's last 
Wednesday, December 7. 

Before the crowd of some 75 women and a smattering of 
Gay men, Streicher recalled the night 12 years ago when now 
intended candidate Norman first walked into the bar. “She 
listened a lot, said very little, and what she said she meant. 
If we don't all get behind her, we have to be sort of dumb. 
“Not only does she do things, 


but she gets things done,” 
Streicher continued. “This city 
needs someone who says what 
they mean and does what they 
say they will.” Streicher added, 
“And she has a helluva a good 
chance” of winning a seat on the 
Board next November. 

Lesbian/Gay Health Services 
Coordinator Norman then step¬ 
ped up to the microphone and 
also recalled the day she’d got¬ 
ten off a Greyhound bus from 
Pennsylvania and stepped into 
Maud’s “and got loaded. I was 
scared I d get beat up because I 
w as looking at all these wonder¬ 
ful women.” 

Norman also remembered 
having been through the peace, 
women’s and Gay movements 
and been “totally against any 
kind of electoral politics, par¬ 
ticularly because I thought it 


was totally corrupt.” 
Acknowledging she 


has 


grown since then, she says she 
now feels, “The only way to 
change the corruption is to be a 
part of that system so the cor¬ 
ruption can’t continue." 

Norman also criticized those 
who have advised her to wait for 
a tap from “a system that is sup¬ 
posedly unbeatable.” She chal¬ 
lenged the audience to “Make 
our own choice.” 

Streicher then summed up 
before the juke box came back 
on, “Wouldn't it be neat to have 
one woman there just once in our 
goddamn lives?” Streicher has 
run one or more Lesbian bars 
here for two decades. ■ 



Supervisor candidate Pat I\onnan was 
She’s joined here by her supporters. II 1 


out fundraising at Maud’s this week. 
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BAY AREA REPORTER DECEMBER 15, 1983 PAGE 7 

















































































Open foruM 


:S PLEASING PLAUDITS, PROVOCATIVE PUNDITS, & OTHER PREDICTABLY PRECOCIOUS PROFUNDITIES TO TEASE THE MENTAL PROCESSES PLEASING PLAUDITS, PF 

VOL. XIII NO. 50 DECEMBER 15, 1983 NEXT ISSUE OUT: DECEMBER 22 NEXT DEADLINE: DECEMBER 16 


iewpoint Letters 


Spirits Without Season 

At this time of year the Christian churchies are at their best, 
yet no one pays greater court to the birth of Christ than the 
Roman Catholic Church. Nothing in the liturgy surpasses Mid¬ 
night Mass Christmas Eve. So too, everything is about love, 
and generosity, and forgiveness — and the spirit of the 
season. 

Hardly the time to target the power and the glory. Still, 
settling scores has no season, particularly when the challenge 
has been issued by the power. On December 2 the Vatican 
issued new guidelines on sex and sex theology for the 1 980's. 
On second look most observers noted that the guidelines were 
nothing more than a stern restatement of traditional Roman 
Catholic attitudes. 

What anyone else would call a "Sex Guide," the Vatican 
in its euphemistic flair titled their 36-page "declaration," 
Educational Guidance in Human Love. 

Throughout the document marriage is portrayed as "de¬ 
signed for procreation" but that it also served the purpose 
of "the realization of the couple." As it has always meant, 
that "realization" is attained through having every baby the 
womb will bear. More Catholic babies mean more power. 
More Catholic babies mean more souls to be saved. Starva¬ 
tion is another matter but as long as they get baptized — 
celestial glory is theirs without asking for it. 

Homosexuality was described as "a disorder" and "a social 
maladaption." Although priests were urged to treat homo¬ 
sexuals with understanding, they were warned not to "accord 
them a moral justification." 

In traditional RC lingo a homosexual act was a mortal sin. 
The penalty for a mortal sin was condemnation to the ever¬ 
lasting fires of hell. It also meant that the church itself could 
exercise corporal punishment on the accused sinner. In the 
13th century you might be burned at the stake; in the 20th 
century you might be driven away from the church and pub¬ 
licly declared a condemned sinner. 

The Vatican guide does make a concession for the last 
quarter of the 20th century. Punishment is no longer one of 
the tools to be used on transgressors. A child is no longer to 
be punished if caught masturbating (or if he confesses to it) 
but the priest is urged to investigate the underlying cause and 
wean the child away from the maladaptive practice. Aversion 
therapists are probably licking their chops over this one. 

In our cases, homosexuality is denounced morally and 
decried as a "grave disorder." Don't punish us but offer help 
— "welcoming with understanding, creating a climate of 
hope, encouraging the emancipation of the individual and his 
or her growth in self-control." Verbiage aside, this means all 
will be okay when we stop doing it and stop being it. 

Gay people will be welcome to come into the churches and 
use the facilities as long as they come as people and leave 
the Gayness in the gutter. That means don't come in with your 
lover, don't feel attracted to the man in the next pew, don't 
ask for the parish hall for a bingo game for an AIDS/KS 
fundraiser. 

And what can we expect from Archbishop Quinn and his 
clergy? Understanding (which means being tolerated). Never 
Validation — or even acceptance as equals. 

Make no mistake about it — for the Sacred Congregation 
for Catholic Education has even figured out the causes of 
homosexuality — "lack of affection, immaturity, obsessive 
impulses, seduction, social isolation, and other types of 
frustration, depravation in dress, license in shows and 
publications." 

For Gay men and women — our family — like that outcast 
family some 2,000 years ago . . . there is no room at the inn. 
The exile is ours; the loss is theirs. 

Paul Lorch 


‘Defensor Fidei’ 

★ I found your responses to Fr. Tony McGuire, Pastor 
of Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church and Randy 
Schell of CUAV to be disturbing in that they (your 
responses! were overly reactive and intensely expressed. 

I have been a long-time reader of B.A.R. and it 
seems that when someone disagrees with you, par¬ 
ticularly in certain matters regarding the Catholic 
Church, you seem to become extremely irrational and 
hypersensitive. 

It does not seem to phase you that Father McGuire’s 
decision not to advertise in B.A.R. is an adult choice 
he had the right to make. Your response was purely 
superfluous. 

k Again, your comments to Randy Schell were more 
of the same old, tired, highly emotional, childish gar¬ 
bage you spew forth when someone shares a different 
viewpoint. 

VI hen are you going to grow up? 

Louis J. Dunn, III 
San Francisco 


Righteous: “Religion is the Way” 

★ In the recent issue of the Bay Area Reporter you 
headline, “5th Milk March, Perhaps the Last.” How 
sad that all.the cries of equal rights take on a 
"discrimination” theme when those EQUAL RIGHTS 
do not turn out to the “gay” advantage! If Moscone 
alone had been the victim, would there be angry 
marches on the anniversary of the killing? 

Dan White did beat the more serious charge that he 
might have gotten had not one of his victims been 
homosexual, but who is to blame? The prosecutor had 
as many picks in selecting the jury as did the defense. 
W hite cannot be blamed for their verdict. If you are 
offended by the sentence march against the twelve 
jurors. 

W hy march at all? The memorial service at the Grace 
Cathedral was more appropriate, though less attention 
getting. From the photo on page 19 it didn’t seem like 
too packed a crow d of mourner^. W ith all the empty 
room the fellow on the right (both arms spread atop 
the pew I seems to be holding open a seat for some who 
didn’t show . W hat a farce of the real meaning of 
mourning! 

I think Paul Lorch owes an apology for his comments 
on Catholic priests in answer to Randy Schell’s letter 
in the same issue. To say you, as a practicing homosex¬ 
ual, never met a Roman Catholic priest that you didn’t 
dislike because they were either on the make, on the 
take, alcoholic or malevolent may have been for that 
very reason . . . you were a practicing homosexual. 
Hidden guilt has strange ways of revealing itself. Or 
maybe you went to Dignity masses. There are many 
Catholic “gays" who will tell you about many Catholic 
priests w ho do not fit in any category of those you men¬ 
tion. You know this, but for some reason you ridicule 
them one and all. Maybe “Rev.” Troy Perry and his 
misinterpretation of God’s Word suits you better? 
W hich would bring up the question of the inability of 
“gays" to change. Wasn’t Perry (legally) married and 
a father before he “came out”? There’s a change for 

I suggest any homosexual try a church that teaches 
Christ s 1 RUTH and see if He can deliver you from 
the sick and perverted segment of homosexual living 
that has Him hitting you with AIDS, discontent and 
unacceptance. I am sorry to tell “Rev.” Perry that he 
is not only selling his own salvation short, but leading 
a lot of others with him. My witness is that if Christ 
could lift me from the pit of homosexual living, which 
He did. He can lift anyone willing to listen to Him and 
not as Perry reads His Words. 

Those who are happy living a short “gay” life will 
never understand my point. Thank God there are as 
many (possibly more) former active “gays” forming 
groups to counteract these “churches of misinterpreta¬ 
tion.” I’ll tell you one thing, you aint’t gonna beat God! 


He didn’t make you “gay,” but He made you. 

Let Milk rest in peace. Screaming about White’s 
release isn’t going to matter to him one way or the other 
now. When I receive letters from homosexuals asking 
how I got off the merry-go-round, I tell them through 
Christ. Maybe I should march my pride. I just may 
do that! 

Allan Benjamin 
Los Angeles 

ED. NOTE: Thank you. Your testament is so 
revealing. I can appreciate why you can't keep it 
private. 


On United Ray Use and Abuse 

* Tom basset wrote in the November issue of the 
Toklas tabloid about the United Way of the Bay Area’s 
support . . . or lack of it . . . for Gay/Lesbian service 
organizations. The club's viewpoint is summed up in 
the article's headline, "Gavs Don’t Count With United 
Way." 

As expected, the club’s leadership invited United 
Way's Executive Director to discuss the issue with 
them. He did and the exchange was spirited. The 
Toklas folks are taking the lead in holding U nited Way 
accountable for a stream of funds that appears ift»t to 
be “working for all of us.” 

It is only fair for us in the community to request 
accountability of our own people who work within the 
United W ay structure in volunteer leadership positions. 
Roberta Actenberg, Arthur Lazere and Carol Migden 
are among the better known self-identified Gays/Les¬ 
bians who occupy positions within the United Way 
structure. Their role is to inform and educate United 
W ay about our concerns, and to influence United Way's 
resource allocation decisions somewhat in our favor. 
Perhaps only time w ill tell how effective this initial effort 
has been. 

If we continue to politicize the community s relation¬ 
ship with United Way, we run the risk of a double loss. 
The first loss could be future funding. Our agencies, 
like many others, are finding it more difficult to com¬ 
pete for already scarce monies. W e have fielded some 
of our best organizations. United W ay has accepted 
two or three while rejecting the bulk of them. For 
whatever reasons, real or imagined, we have not met 
their criteria, and rather than correcting the situation, 
we choose to confront the funding source. By com¬ 
parison, we have less of a case to make for this approach 
than the'Blacks, Hispanics or Asian refugees. 

We need to meet and confer with United Way’s 
Executive Director as planned. We are doing so, I 
believe, in a climate that is creative, positive and con¬ 
structive for both parties. 

Bob Smith 
San Francisco 


We’re Not the Tappers 

★ Publicity for the upcoming New Year’s Eve celebra¬ 
tion at the Galleria Design Center includes an an¬ 
nouncement that the “S.F. Tappers” will be 
performing. 

To avoid any current or future misunderstanding, 
we wish to inform all celebrants attending the Galleria 
New Year’s eve festivities that the “S.F. Tappers” is 
NOT the same group as the “San Francisco Tap 
Troupe.” 

The San Francisco Tap Troupe has been a member 
of the San Francisco Band Foundation for three and 
one-half years, and is the group you saw at Canteen, 
in the Gay Freedom Day Parade, in their hit show 
5-6-7-81 and in countless other performances. 


W ayne Fleisher 
San Francisco Tap Troupe 



SOL-T^^O 

(Div. of Benro Enterprises, Inc.) 
Copyright 1983 



FXfcuTivF sfditoriai officfs 1528 15th Street. San Francisco, CA 94103 tfifphones (415)861-5019/861-7230 

PUBLISHf p Bob Ross 

editor Paul F. Lorch graphics & came RA Jim Buckley 

. ASSOCIATE EDITOR, entertainment John F. Karr layout Peter Keane 

national OPERA CORRESPONDENT George Heymont typesetting Tony Lindsey & Chal Cochran 

Political editor Wayne Friday staff photographer: Rink 

office manageR: Michael Snyder auditor accountant Robert J. Dern, C.P. A. 


G 

i A: 

,U_, 

'WALLER PRCEE 


CONTRIBUTORS 


Burney Allgood, Michael Benzry, Konstantin Berlandt, Ron Bluestein, Philip Campbell, Jerry De Gracia, Jerry R. De Young, 
Wayne Friday, Glenn, Dianne Gregory, Paul-Francis Hartmann, George Heymont, Mike Hippier, Frank J. Howell, John F. Karr, 
Peter Keane, Michael Lasky, Arthur Lazere, George Mendenhall, Gene Miller, Denis Morelia, Nez Pas, Robert Pruzan, Paul Reed, 
Tom Rogers, Dion B. Sanders, Rodger Soto, Bernard Spunberg, Karl Stewart, Dan Turner, Tom Vindeed, Dick Walters, 
Steve Warren, Rick Weatherly, Allen White, Keith White, Bob Woolhouse 

Published weekly, Bay Area Reporter reserves the right to edit or reject any ad which the publisher believes is in poor taste or which advertises illegal items which might result in legal action against Bay Area Reporter 
Ads will not be rejected solely on the basis of politics, philosophy, religion, race, age or sexual preference. Advertising rates are available on request. Our list of subscribers and advertisers is confidential and is not 
sold. The sexual orientation of advertisers, photographers, and writers and articles published herein is neither inferred nor implied. 


BAY AREA REPORTER DECEMBER 15, 1983 PAGE 8 














LETTERS 


Cookie Correction 


★ I am writing in response to the article entitled “Mrs. 
Fields Cookies Sifts Out Gay Worker” which appeared 
in the December 1, 1983 edition of the Bay Area 
Reporter. I am troubled by the article and the lawsuit 
it describes, because they touch upon an area — fairness 
in employment — to which Mrs. Fields Cookies is 
deeply committed. The claims made by Mr. Johnson 
are false, and we will prove this so in court. 

In 19TT, when I started 
Mrs. Fields Cookies in the 
Bay Area, it was my dream 
to create a great company, 
a company which would 
serve a great cookie in a 
way that made people feel 
appreciated and welcome. 

That goal required for its 
achievement the employ¬ 
ment of the most talented 
people we could find, re¬ 
gardless of race, sex, or sex¬ 
ual orientation. Mrs. Fields 
has grown to where it is to¬ 
day because in employment we are open to anyone who 
wants to be associated with something great. 

As a result of our philosophy, we have hired many 
excellent people, some of whom, incidentally, are gay. 
We employ, and are proud to employ a broad cross- 
section from all the communities we serve. In fact, gay 
people occupy a variety of responsible positions in the 
Company. There is no truth whatsoever to the allega¬ 
tion of Mr. Johnson’s complaint that we have ever tried 
to reduce the number of gay employees within our com¬ 
pany, or to limit their opportunities for advancement. 
Frankly, we want and need every good person we can 
hire, at all levels, hourly or management, who are will¬ 
ing to be judged solely on their job performance. 

I hope your readers will withhold judgement until 
both sides of the story have been told, and particular¬ 
ly until the claims in Mr. Johnson’s complaint have 
been tested in court. I encourage your readers to solicit 
the personal views of the fine people which make up 
this company. Thank you for giving me the opportunity 
to respond, even briefly, to your article. 

Debbi Fields 
Park City, Utah 


More on Burning Out 

* First of all. the letter reprinted in B.A.R. was part 
of private correspondence between me and a Mr. Allen 
W liite. who is not listed on the masthead as being a 
member of the editorial staff. To avoid confusion, even 
the envelope was clear!) marked “personal.’’ It is 
enlightening to learn that am written material ex¬ 
changed with anvone affiliated with B.A.R. mav be 
considered a "letter to the editor." I would consider 
the wisdom — if not the legalitv — of such a policy 
to be in question. 

becondly. the suggestion that my comments about 
a particular businessman's habits and practices were 
an attack on local bartenders is absurd. As a former 
bartender (of nine years) I know that employees of Gay 
bars, often pressured for sexual favors by owners and 
managers, denied benefits or union representation, and 
generally replaced when no longer decorative, are some 
of the most hard working (and exploited) people in the 
Bay Area. My note to Mr. White was in reference to 
a particular person who was clearly referred to, by 
name. 

But since I have been asked (and boy, have I been 
asked, lately) I not only wrote the note, but there’s 
more. 

I am not the only one of Jim’s early buddies who 
abandoned him when it became obvious, even to me, 
that he was part of a group of people in the Castro who 
were intent on destroying themselves. Now I’m sorry, 
gang, but that’s how it was. 

Furthermore, it is amazing that the people who yell 
the loudest about how much they “loved” Jim are the 
same people who, knowing of the man’s obviously 
appalling phy sical condition, still served him alcohol 
and supplied him w ith other bizzare substances, thereby 
helping him to an early grave. 

So now he's gone, and now maybe the intensity and 
direction of a lifesty le in which a strong, good-looking, 
financially secure man who seems to have everything 
going for him can be literally used up at 38 needs some 
examining. 

For the last decade and a half, or more, a Gay man 
living in San Francisco has had his lifestyle more or 
less the way he wanted it, or at least the way the 
fantasy merchants told him he wanted it, which ad¬ 
mittedly, might be pretty much the same thing. 

But the people I knew from the Rendezvous/Hide- 
aw ay / Fantasy day s (w hen the crowd was considerably 
smaller) who didn’t make it this far would fill a page- 
long list, and none of them were run over by a cable 
car or struck by lightning. One way or the other they 
all partied themselves to death. 

It can be reasonably argued that all of these people 
simply made a free choice of life and deathstyle, and 
a few years ago I would have agreed, but recently I’m 
not so sure. Some of us came to San Francisco w ithout 
any role models at all, and we bought into the free¬ 
wheeling, commercial, bar-oriented Gay lifestyle 
because that was just about all that was available. 
Unfortunately, some of us have bought into it much 
too heavily. 

Male homosexuality is one of God’s greatest gifts, 
but it does not, of itself, have anything to do with the 
self-destructiveness, drug abuse, sideshow antics, disco 
addiction and alcoholism exhibited in and encourag¬ 
ed by some of the bars and bath houses. 


There were a few people, in the late 60s and early 
70s. who advised us to slow down a little. They were 
generally rebuked for their “negative attitudes" and 
"unliberated heads." Now, as 1 realize that for the past 
two years 1 have been attending a funeral on the average 
of once every nine weeks, and now that the list of the 
dead and dying grows and grows, it's starting to look 
like some of the old bromides were at least partly true 
after all. 't ou can’t bathhouse, barroom and benzedrene 
your way through life without pay ing a hideous price. 
Those who encourage you to try it are not y our friends. 

George Buchanan 
San Francisco 

LD. I\OTL: Our apologies on the first point. The 
envelope 's ‘ personal" restriction got lost in the pro¬ 
cess. Still the message was one worth taking public. 

T. Torch 


White Flush 

★ Let’s not get our collective tush in a new uproar over 
the federal decision on Dan White. The blame was 
clearly. and justifiably, placed on California law s and 
courts. 

The best memorial w e can collectively build to honor 
both Harvey Milk and George Moscone is to continue 
striving for our ow n rights and those of other minorities. 

Herb Levy 
San Francisco 


Interpreter for the Deaf 

★ Recently, as well as in the past, a number of articles 
have been written in major publications about a young 
man who has accomplished a number of firsts in pro¬ 
viding interpreter services for the deaf in San Francisco 
and the Bay Area. 

I would like to take a moment to give my appreci¬ 
ation to Jay Wilson, a legal specialist interpreter, for 
his work and commitment to those of us who would 
not otherwise have the opportunity to participate in 
events affecting us all. 

I am not alone in my gratitude and hope you will 
acknowledge Mr. Wilson’s efforts as an integral part 
of our communities. 

As a regular participant in Deaf Community events, 
I have witnessed his dedication (lifelong) and work 
tow ards the betterment of interpreter services to the 
deaf including numerous activities such as AIDS 
meetings, Gay parades and marches in San Francisco. 

In his profession known for its tremendous turnover 
rate, he has consistently been available to assure the 
Deaf Community of professional interpreter services. 

Not only have his accomplishments been overlooked 
as a Gay person in the Gay community, but also I am 
puzzled by the lack of information w ritten or said about 
the Deaf Gay Community in and around San 
F rancisco. 

Because English is often a second language, not 
many deaf people write letters on related subjects. 

Jay’s remarkable abilities have made many feel less 
of a minority w ithin the Gay community as Deaf Gay 
people. 

Cheryl Holmes 


Calling South Bay . . 

★ Okay, South Bay Boys and Girls, our vacation is 
over. We’ve all had plenty of time to lick our wounds 
from those nasty setbacks at the polls a few years ago, 
and now it’s time to pick ourselves up and get back 
into the fight. 

Sure, we all got pretty frustrated after watching all 
our hard work and effort fall to such a heavy loss, but 
hey, no war has ever been won in a single battle. You 
see, those “good” church people who led the fight 
against us then think that they have sent us all run¬ 
ning with our tails tucked between our legs, because 
they really haven’t heard much from us lately. And 
while the City Boys have been doing their thing in San 
Francisco, we’ve sorta grown stale. I know there are 
a lot of you out there who think that increasing your 
bar attendance is serving the <5ause, but sorry, it’s not. 
We all have a political responsibility that many of us 
seem to have forgotten about. 

’83 is almost over. With this next year being an all 
important election year, the South Bay Gays and Les¬ 
bians must regroup and once again join our brothers 
and sisters in the fight for our rights. AB-1 is a perfect 
opportunity for us to show our political power and to 
march one step closer to our ultimate goal of equality. 

It’s not going to be easy, for we have a lot of fresh 
opposition, but I’m confident that we can give them 
all they can handle. So what do you say, South Bay? 
Let’s rekindle the fiery spirit that we all had a few years 
back. I’ll be waiting to hear from you all. 

Bill Whitesides 
San Jose, CA 


Do Da 

★ Da Da Da Da! 

Ludwig von Beethoven 
San Francisco 



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BAY AREA REPORTER DECEMBER 15, 1983 PAGE 9 














































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Letters 


Bumper Sticking 

★ Irrespective of the risk, this observation — proceed¬ 
ed by the caveat that “I am not anti-female, per se — 
must be offered for B.A.R. reader consideration and 
evaluation. 

With few exceptions, if one encounters a VW (or 
similar compact vehicle) which is “beat to shit,” it will 
bear (or be held together by) political stickers proclaim¬ 
ing: “U.S. out of El Salvador;” “Women Against 
Nuclear Technology;” “U.S. out of Grenada;” “You 
can’t hug your kids with Nuclear Arms;” “End the 
Arms Race, not the Human Race;” and “Support 
Women’s Music.” 

Such a “vehicle” — whether it be four wheeled or 
a written appendage — will invariably be propelled by 
an obviously liberated/radical female, repleate with 
bouncing breasts, adorned in lavender/purple jogging 
shirts/pants. Most “refuel” at the Women’s Building 
on 18th Street! 

Best wishes, B.A.R., for a successful ’84. You 
deserve it, and you serve the community well. 

Thomas M. Edwards 
San Francisco 


Another Fallen Brother 

★ 1 hope you will see fit to print the following obituary 
to Dennis McLain, a former San Francisco resident 
and dear friend who died on December 7 of AIDS com¬ 
plications in Redding, CA at the age of 44. He was 
living with his family at the time of his death. 

Dennis resided in San Francisco for 17 years and 
worked at Kaiser Hospital during this time. He bowl¬ 
ed in several gay leagues over the years, and was well- 
known and loved very much by those who knew him. 
Kaposi’s sarcoma was diagnosed in the fall of 1982 and 
a series of medical maladies ensued, including most 
recently, cryptococcal meningitis. Dennis’ last days 
were painful and weak, and his death was, perhaps, 
merciful. From those who knew him, a request is made 
to keep Dennis in your thoughts and send your love 
with him. 

It is a pity that the lifestyle in which many have 
sought refuge from the prejudice of others has turned 
on people like Dennis to inflect such a ravaging, pitiless, 
hopeless disease. It doesn’t seem fair. Our fight against 
unfairness must continue even in the face of adversities 
and unfortunate losses such as this one, however. 
Dennis, we will miss you. We hope you are at peace. 

F riends 


Look the Other Hay 

* "W h\ does the Moral Majority forbid sex in public? 
Because they’re afraid it will lead to dancing!” 

This joke can shed light on two “problems" trou¬ 
bling our community : public sex and public drag. 

As far as the latter, Debra Stein, like all other people 
who are attracted to positions of power realizes, con¬ 
sciously or unconsciously, that one of the w ay s to control 
people is to control the clothes they wear. Just as your 
boss, if you work in the highrises, considers the lack 
of a tie "inappropriate," so drag is “inappropriate" only 
because it is a signal that you are not being controlled. 

Sex is a more complicated matter. Taboos against 
sex are rooted in several areas. First, the matter of con¬ 
trol — it might lead to dancing. Let’s look at some of 
the reasons people give for attempting to suppress 
sexual behavior and pictures in public. In the matter 
of the YMCA, it is a matter of “protecting the 
children.” Surely this wasn’t the reason my mother, 
when she found me (at age seven) and my buddy in 
the garage playing with each other slapped my hand 
and told me that was “nasty ’’ (we didn't use the word 
"inappropriate” with each other). Sex to kids, before 
they become interested in it, is like football or politi¬ 
cians — incomprehensible activity that makes 
grownups excited. 

^ our writers (often Gay women) state that “it doesn’t 
belong in a generally circulated newspaper." Here 
again, we get the "nasty” hypothesis, in “in¬ 
appropriate" clothing. B.A.R. is (was) a publication 
whose staff and readership is made up mainly of 
homosexual men, most of whom are interested in sex. 
Sometimes I think that our attempt to include our Gay 
sisters in the paper makes as much sense as the NAACP 
taking American Indians. If Lesbians, straights and 
others want to read a homosexua/ paper, fine, but 
please don’t attempt to exclude the sexual content! 

One writer last week stated that he didn’t want to 
enter a steamroom where two men were getting it on 
because he didn’t want to embarrass them. Let’s face 
it, if they were ashamed of their behavior they would 
have stopped when he came in, so the “problem" must 
lie somewhere else. The poor guy is in a double bind, 
on the one hand, he's straight, on the other hand, he 
probably finds open sexual activity of any gender- 
combination a turn on. But he can’t participate, and 
is ashamed to look, so it becomes a problem. If only 
1 had had sense enough, when caught in the garage, 
to tell my mother “If you don’t like what’s going on 
that’s your problem” it would have saved us both a lot 
of grief. As it stands, 1 recommend a very effective form 
of censorship — personal avoidance. 

Unlike smoking, sexual pictures and activities (unless 
they’re awfully active) do not demand participation 
from those nereby. If y ou don’t like what you see, look 
away. If you like what you see, but can’t admit it 
because it’s “dirty" or "vulgar" or simply “inappro¬ 
priate,” look away. If you don’t like what someone is 
wearing, look away, or leave the room, if that’s what 
it takes to satisfy you. But save us both the agony of 
attempting to insist that the behavior of others adhere 
to your own standards. 


han Francisco community standards are not those 
of Iran, or even Iowa. I'lease respect the freedoms that 
we wish to preserve in our city. “Freedom to” is true 
freedom. “Freedom from” is the basis of tyranny. And 
don’t give me that "natives overwhelmed by the Gay 
takover" bullshit — the real native San Franciscans 
weren’t such prudes, whether you want to go hack to 
the 1800’s, or further to the Miwok Indians, who had 
much healthier ideas of both sex and war — that's why 
they peaceably lei the mighty white warrior shove them 
aside. 

Carl Mayfeld 
San Francisco 


Biis Majesty, Tattoo Jim 

★ Drag Queens and the Leather Men both have an 
equal part in making up our Gay community. I have 
and still do live in both worlds. No, I am not a Drag 
Queen and no, Empress Ginger, I don’t want to wear 
any of your wigs or dresses, I love them too much on 
you. I am your male counterpart in the Imperial family; 
Emperor this year with Empress Connie. 

I am also a member of 
the Chicago Hellfire Club 
and a member of the leather 
men of this city. Empress 
Ginger, it was not the drags 
alone who kicked and push¬ 
ed for the freedom we have 
today. You say it was the 
drags who stood out and 
made the impression on the 
rest of the world and made 
our movement toward free¬ 
dom possible. Wrong 
Ginger, it was both the 
men doing it in different ways. 
Sometimes alone and sometimes together, the changes 
were made by both not just one. 

The question I don’t feel was who did what, right 
or wrong, but what Karl Stewart’s reporting should 
be about when it’s headed “My Knights in Leather.” 
I feel it should be about the Leather World and men. 
We don’t mix Opera and the Sports do we? I am not 
saying Karl, who I feel is a friend of mine, is wrong 
in his reporting. He should be given a gold medal 
because he tries his best to cover both. I am saying the 
heading is misleading — Knights in Leather should be 
a leathermen’s column. What we all should be doing 
is asking the B.A.R. to either change the heading to 
something that would not mislead us to cover both, or 
better yet, make two columns — one for each so that 
both could get the just coverage they both work hard 
for, keeping Karl’s city-wide calendar. 

Karl, other than the misleading heading, you’re do¬ 
ing a damn good job for all of us! It’s the first place 
I look in the B.A.R. Thanks for keeping both worlds 
alive. The next time we meet, have a drink on me. 

H.M.I.M. Tattoo Jim 
Emperor of San Francisco 

ED. NOTE: Your point is well made, and we’re do¬ 
ing some shifting and redirecting. It takes a bit of time 
though to separate the interlocking threads. 

P. Lorch 


Good Style 

★ Please compliment Mike Hippier on his good use 
of English. Would that the Ex-Chron could do as well. 

G. H. Gilchrist 
San Francisco 


On Donor Option 

★ In the last general meeting of the Alice B. Toklas 
Lesbian/Gay Democratic Club held Monday, 14 No¬ 
vember 1983, the membership unanimously supported 
a motion requesting that the lesbian and gay media be 
memorialized and encouraged to discuss the confiden¬ 
tiality clause of “donor options” in donations made to 
the United Way. Also, the motion stipulated that the 
club encourage your discussion of this matter through 
editorials, articles, and advertisements. 

As the maker of that motion, I applaud the other 
members of Alice in their courage. 

The importance of “donor option” must not be 
underestimated. For all our social service agencies, 
there is a particular difficulty as regards funding cuts, 
diversity of services, and the development of community 
social service needs at this time. Presently, various 
agencies are experiencing staff burn-out due to years 
of lowered salaries/benefits because of lack of funds 
and the cuts instituted by federal and state govern¬ 
ments. This is particularly onerous in light of the effects 
upon service delivery. 

Moreover, the United Way has informed propos¬ 
ing agencies that no new agencies will'be funded dur¬ 
ing the next two years. As a policy decision that infor¬ 
mation is especially distressing for the lesbian and gay 
communities. It means that -if you haven’t applied 
before that, for two years your proposal doesn’t stand 
a chance. It means that if you have applied continuously 
for as much as seven years (Pride Foundation), you 
will probably not get funded until your tenth year of 
application, if then. It makes “donor option” that much 
more meaningful to the women and men of our com¬ 
munity who donate through the United Way. 

Brandy Moore 
San Francisco 




BAY AREA REPORTER DECEMBER 15, 1983 PAGE 10 




































f 


Letters 


Vitamin C for AIDS 


★ We approach the first AIDS Christmas (although 
the thing has been around longer, as we are all aware) 
— so to speak — as ’83 was the year of the big 
disclosure. 

My heart goes out to the surviving patients who are 
mostly alone in their battle. I travel a great deal and 
my lover saves me all the B.A .R.’s to read when I come 
off the road, so I get a very intense picture of the 
situation. 

I am struck by recent full-page articles about the 
beneficial effect high-dosage Vitamin C has been hav- 
'ng on several patients. So, this is an appeal: Could 
we not start a collection-distribution effort through 
B.A.R. and the good offices of the SF AIDS/KS Foun¬ 
dation office on 10th Street? Their recent meetings with 
the FARO — the national AIDS people — spotlight 
them for this. The varying kinds of Vitamin C could 
be collected in various ways in the city, and then dis¬ 
tributed to patients who desire it. All that has to be 
worked out are a few pickups and deliveries and a cam¬ 
paign of publicity to get people out and contributing. 
B.A.R. could start the campaign on Page One! 

If every gay guy and gal in San Francisco gave just 
one bottle of 1000 milligram (1 gram) Vitamin C — 
we could offer a huge gift of help, and not to mention 
hope, to our stricken brothers, often languishing in dire 
loneliness and isolation — some not even in hospitals 
or hospices, but depressing Tenderloin hotels! 

W hat better way to say Merry Christmas to them? 

M. H. Murphy 


Rats & AIDS 

★ That there is an “outbreak” of bubonic plague in 
New Mexico, with 39 cases of the disease nationwide 
so far in 1983, and rodents discovered to have the plague 
in Los Angeles, the connection with AIDS and urban 
rats seems to have been overlooked in favor of track¬ 
ing sexual contacts, semen, and blood for clues to AIDS 
transmission. 

A review of the facts: bubonic plague is found in three 
men for every woman; signal for the plague is swollen 
lymph nodes; papules are found most frequently on the 
legs and feet, where fleas make contact; pneumonia, 
or septicemic plague is a variation; suppression of the 
immune system occurs; dense populations of rodents 
are necessary for transmission. 'Sounds like AIDS, or 
a variation, to us, not to mention the blackening of the 
skin, fever, and diarrhea, and, of course, the high in¬ 
cidence of fatality. 

The question is: why is not more being done to track 
the rat (or rodent) connection in AIDS? The past year, 
fleas, and rats, have been multiply ing in urban areas 
across the L .S. Domestic animals can become hosts 
to “hot” fleas which may have jumped from a dead 
rat to the closest warm-blooded object — be it animal 
or human, flea begins an unsavory tearing at the new¬ 
ly found host; if full of the bacteria, y. pestis, there is 
regurgitation of host blood and y. pestis at the site of 
the bites and there you go. 

W hy Gay men, drug users, and Haitians? It has 
possible answers in the interface with rat/flea (lice, bed¬ 
bugs) these groups are forced into or choose to move 
into, forming a closed arena for the specialized disease, 
in say a ghetto: Tenderloin, South of Market. 

In bringing the “connection” to your attention, it 
may be stated the real epidemic is in the rat/flea in¬ 
festation of San Francisco and New York, and the work 
by city officials should be similar to Forest Service per¬ 
sonnel w ho outline the steps to improve sanitation, be 
aware of breeding grounds and situations, and monitor 
rodents and domestic animals for antibodies — and 
perhaps discover something helpful — be it an AIDS 
clue or a prevention from the spread of the plague from 
rural to urban areas. 

John Buckman 
Greg Mauser 
San Francisco 


Health Department’s 
Official Response 

★ The only case of plague reported in San Francisco 
since 1959, (as far back as I searched), occurred in 1976. 
This was a 16 year old boy who developed the pro¬ 
dromal symptoms of the disease on his grandfather’s 
ranch in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He returned ill 
to his home in San Rafael, was hospitalized in Marin 
General Hospital, and was transferred, pre-terminal, 
to Children’s Hospital in San Francisco where he ex¬ 
pired. From 1940 to 1976, only 17 cases were reported 
in California, including the San Francisco case. None 
in California since. 

Reservoir hosts are rodents, and the major United 
States infected areas are the desert regions of the 
southwestern states and the mid-level of the Sierra from 
Kern County northward. A few years ago some con¬ 
cern was voiced by environmentalist groups about the 
displacement of rats in the home construction areas of 
Ventura County. The county and state agencies 
mounted intensive and apparently successful active con¬ 
trol programs. 

Selma K. Dritz, M.D. 

Asst. Dir. Bureau of 
Communicable Disease Control 


Cosmetic Clones 

★ Whatever happened to our “natural” wholesome 
S.F. male image? Walking/standing in a bar on Castro 
I noticed somewhat of an identity crisis. 

1. The “men” were dressed in clothes that would 


enhance any young woman. Exaggerated shirts (open 
way, way too far), pants that any woman would kill 
for, especially with all those extra pleats, extreme fits, 
extra pockets, snaps, etc. 

2. The eyebrows which have been plucked, arched, 
dyed, and thought to be “natural” were truly remark¬ 
able. One would have to be blind not to notice this ex¬ 
treme look. 

3. Hair was either cut, colored, frosted, bleached to 
the point that if one did attempt to engage in any form 
of sexual activity the head would have to rest on a block 
with a “don’t touch” sign. Hair spray also gets sticky 
when wet. 

4. Additional tattoos, chains now attaching to 
wallets, many more keys attached to their pockets, etc. 
J ust how many of these 35 keys open anything other 
than jingle like bracelets on an arm. 

As one begins aging or is obviously insecure, it seems 
that he must continue adding (replenishing) things to 
himself to overcompensate. At what point does one step 
back and look at their newly acquired “natural” look? 

The Doctor 


Drags are Us 

★ Concerning Mr. Apostopoulous’ letter in the issue 
of November 23, I and several friends are very angry 
at this crass attack upon a hard-working element of 
the gay community, as well as, obviously, a self-serving 
attack on Karl Stewart. Frankly put, many of us who 
consider ourselves a part of the "community” are get¬ 
ting really tired of those few people who seek to keep 
the gay community divided, at odds with one another, 
and in tension with one another. We see the “commu¬ 
nity ” breaking down into self-righteous groups, casting 
prejudice, snobbery, and disdain to others who do not 
fit the mold of their group. There are many people in 
the Bay Area who are refugees of homophobic envi¬ 
ronments, and we did not come here to be subjected 
to the same crap. 

First, I wish to commend 
the B.A.R. for allowing 
Karl Stewart’s column to 
appear in the paper. Al¬ 
though I do not frequently 
agree vyith his personal 
slant on events, issues, or 
the like, his column does 
provide an entertaining 
forum for events in the 
community. Those people 
who work hard for the 
organizations or events that 
Karl frequently mentions 
know that his column pro¬ 
vides that extra boost in 
publicity and support to keep their organizations roll¬ 
ing and out in front of nonmembers and nonpartici¬ 
pants. Many of the recent and pending fundraisers for 
AIDS victims, social groups, and community support 
groups simply would not have achieved their success 
without Karl’s assistance. 

Secondly, the various courts are a positive, if some¬ 
what minor, force in the community. The members of 
the mototcycle clubs and other South of Market organ¬ 
izations are well aware of the support that the courts 
have provided. 

Also, they continue to serve as a delicate 
and sometimes tenuous bridge between some of the 
most diverse groups in the city. On the more personal 
level, the courts indirectly provide an occasional alter¬ 
native to the impersonal “hunt” and “panic hour” in 
the bars. Also, they provide the chance to meet some 
very personable human beings, whether in costume or 
not. 

It comes down to this, Mr. Apostopoulous; you never 
know who has a dress in the closet, and who the hell 
cares! 

As a good friend, Miss Darlene, says: “Well-1-1-1-1, 
smell you-u-u; and get off my dress! ” 

John Paul Scott 

P.S. to Mr. Apostopoulous and those who may think 
that I am just another drag queen going off: I ’ll let you 
in on a personal secret. I have no dresses in my closet 
and have never worn one. My drag closet contains full 
leather, CHP uniforms, cowboy and Castro character 
and custom-tailored Italian suits. And when in costume 
and character, I am very capable of keeping it in 
perspective, thank you! 


A Helpful Letter 

★ Again I find myself in need of responding, this time 
it is directed to “Renaissance.” I hope that you will 
be able to find a place for it, and if not I’ll understand. 
Dear Richard, 

After a full weekend of entertaining all of my closest 
friends for Thanksgiving I felt a strong sense of aliena¬ 
tion, since they are all mostly coupled. I kept asking 
myself if celibacy is the right path, and I must admit 
I had to take a few deep breaths to continue cleaning 
up. Nonetheless, determined to stick to my convictions 
because the rewards have been by far greater. 

Later that evening I sat down to-read the B.A.R. 
when I came across your article. Well, I flipped — all 
the way from a hearty, joyful outburst of laughter to 
being completely filled. 

You stated that I gave you encouragement and sup¬ 
port; well, I got that tenfold from your letter. The 
following day, I awoke with more zest, and as I worked, 
socialized, and exercised I had more energy and vitality 
than ususal. 

I know now that when my blue moments come, I’ll 
think “Richard Jordan” and it will definitely help. 

A.M. 

San Francisco 



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Ousted Sailor Walks from 
NYC to Protest Discharge 


by Bernard Spunberg 


Mel Dahl, 24, walked from New York City to San Francisco between April 30 and December 
1,1983, to gain publicity and raise funds to fight his discharge from the U.S. Navy for being Gay. 

Dahl, a member of the Libertarian Party, enlisted in the Navy in February 1980. Attracted 
by travel and career opportunities, Dahl planned a 20-year military stint. By March 1981, Dahl 
had proven his worth as a seaman to the extent of being evaluated for top secret security clearance 
by the Naval Investigation Service, the Naval equivalent of the FBI. 


When the NIS asked Dahl 
about his sex life, he answered 
truthfully. The next day, Dahl 
received a letter signed by his 
commander informing him that 
he was being processed out of 
the Navy with an honorable 
discharge. 

Dahl’s case was not heard by 
a Naval Administrative Dis¬ 
charge Board until September 
1981. With the assistance of 
ACLU attorney Joe Schuman, 
Dahl sought to prove to the 
Board that his discharge would 
represent a substantial loss to 
the Navy. Conceding that his 
discharge would indeed be a 
loss, the Navy ruled that Dahl’s 
value as a seaman was not at 
issue. He w as formally discharg¬ 
ed in January 1982. 

Dahl and the ACLU have 
filed suit against the Navy in 
Chicago. Their case, filed in Oc¬ 
tober 1983, rests on the follow¬ 
ing arguments: The anti-Gay 
regulation is unconstitutional 
because it is based on religious 
principles; it denies the right to 
free association, since mere ac¬ 


quaintance with a Gay person is 
sufficient to warrant discharge; 
it denies the right to free speech; 
it denies equal protection, since 
a woman in the Navy would not 
be discharged for being attract¬ 
ed to men; and it denies due pro¬ 
cess by including Dahl within a 
larger group regardless of the 
merits of his individual case. 

The Navy’s second extension 
for time to prepare its case will 
expire in January 1984. 

Dahl’s walk across the coun¬ 
try garnered mention in the 
straight presses of Champagne 
and Chicago, Illinois, appear¬ 
ances on three dozen local talk 
shows, as well as national 
coverage on “Sixty Minutes.” 
He has raised approximately 
$3500 for his legal expenses. 

Dahl creditrs much of the suc¬ 
cess of his walk to supporters 
within the Libertarian Party. 
Libertarian ideas form a basis 
for Dahl’s personal philosophy 
and also provided impetus for 
his walk. “Libertarianism is the 
belief that people have the right 
to live as they like as long as they 


don’t hurt anybody else, and 
you don’t have to like someone 
personally to support their right 
to live as they like. I wish Gay 
political groups would spend less 
time on internal nitpicking and 
more on fighting the common 
enemy — those who would limit 
our rights because we are Gay, 
female, Black, Hispanic, Amer¬ 
ican Indian, whatever. 

“My walk was Libertarian in 
its self-sufficiency. I went on the 
walk not to ask people to help 
me, but to ask people to help 
themselves by helping me to end 
discrimination that hurts us all. 

“My goal is to strike the anti- 
Gay Naval regulation. I feel I’m 
a lot closer to that now than I 
was in April. All told, I think my 
walk was generally successful.” 

Bel Dahl wore out four pairs 
of shoes on his transcontinental 
trek. With his case pending in 
federal court, he still has some 
miles to travel before he rests. 
Contributions may be mailed to 
Mel Dahl, Box 10816, Chicago, 
IL 60610. ■ 


Homophobic Jokes 

Comic Murphy Hit in 
Trade Papers 

by Allen White 

The irrational and uncontrollable fear of homosexuality 
by comedian Eddie Murphy has now been labeled a disease. 
Billboard and Cashbox, two music trade magazines, have 
both run ads in the last few weeks which protest Murphy’s 
homophobic remarks. The ads are one of many serious pro¬ 
tests against the 22-year-old comedian. 


Unlike earlier protests against 
homophobic personalities, this 
attack has attracted individuals 
willing to pay money in enter¬ 
tainment publications. The 
money is used for ads such as the 
Billboard and Cashbox ads 
which carry a unique letter¬ 
writing twist. 

The twist is the establishment 
of the Eddie Murphy Disease 
Foundation. Those writing the 
organization will receive litera¬ 
ture and a free sticker which an¬ 
nounces, “Eddie Murphy’s Dis¬ 
ease can be cured.” 

The comedian has stirred 
substantial resentment in the na¬ 
tional Gay community because 
of his records and a coneert 
w hich w as taped and broadcast 
on Home Box Office. In the 
show he lets loose with several 
anti-Gay remarks and a vicious 
association between AIDS and 
Gay people. 

East week Virginia Apuzzo, 
executive director of the Na¬ 
tional Gay Task Force, said, 
“W e have gotten an enormous 
number of calls. It is a major 
source of concern.” Michael 
Fuchs, president of the Home 
Box Office Entertainment 
Group, acknowledged that the 
cable network has also received 
“a lot of negative feedback.” 

The televised show has been 
a concern to Home Box Office 
because they not only have re¬ 


ceived complaints, they are also 
getting cancellations of their ser¬ 
vice because of the show . Local¬ 
ly, Viacom Cable has been ex¬ 
tremely concerned about the 
program. In October it was an¬ 
nounced that the Telecommuni¬ 
cations Policy Committee which 
regulates cable tv in San Fran- 
eiseo would be investigating the 
show. The show is scheduled to 
be aired again over Home Box 
Office near the end of this 
month. 


A few months back a Holly¬ 
wood writer purchased a full 
page ad in the trade paper. 
Daily Variety , to protest the 
program. Since that time, Gay 
papers throughout the country 
have run the story. 

Eddie Murphy’s manager, 
Robert W achs, has continually 
protested that his star is not anti- 
Gay. W achs blames the press for 
the fast-rising controversy. 
There was no indication that the 
personality felt any responsibil¬ 
ity to apologize either for the 
anti-Gay remarks or for the 
comments about AIDS. No 
matter what the artist’s percep¬ 
tions are about his material, 
with the breaking of the Bill¬ 
board ad there is now a growing 
industry perception that the 
entertainer is homophobic. If 
the perception grows within the 
entertainment business, it could 
harm Murphy’s career. He 
could easily become the next 
Anita Bryant. 

Persons interested in joining 
the Eddie Murphy Disease 
Foundation can write to P.O. 
Box 691585, Los Angeles, CA 
90069. ■ 


Pride Seeks Directors 

Pride Foundation, the Gay- 
community social service organ¬ 
ization is seeking applicants for 
membership on its Board of 
Directors. 

Pride operates alcohol and 
drug abuse programs for Les¬ 
bians and Gay men, an legal 
referral service, a Gay commu¬ 
nity Switchboard, a large multi¬ 
purpose community center, and 
community/neighborhood de¬ 
velopment programs. Appli¬ 
cants are sought who have par¬ 
ticular interest or expertise in 
these areas, as well as experience 
in the general areas of manage¬ 
ment, finances and fundraising. 
The Foundation has assets in ex¬ 
cess of $1,000,000, an annual 


budget exceeding $750,000, and 
a high rate of growth and 
diversification. 

Prospective Board members 
should be prepared to serve on 
at lease one committee in addi¬ 
tion to the Board and can expect 
to deveote at least twenty hours 
per month to the Foundation. 

Applications from women 
and Third World persons are 
especially welcome. The current 
Board is multi-racial and in¬ 
cludes non-Gays. 

Applicants are asked to re¬ 
spond by letter, with a brief 
resume and indication of specific 
areals) of interest by January 31, 
1984, to: Nominating Commit¬ 
tee, Pride Foundation, 890 
Hayes Street, San Francisco 
94117. ■ 


BAY AREA REPORTER DECEMBER 15, 1983 PAGE 12 















































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Bings • Chains • Bracelets • Money Clips 
Cufflinks • Tie Tacks • Much More 


House Demos Blast AIDS Program 

Republican Opponents Say 'Not So 9 

A U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee charged 
last week that the Reagan Administration has failed to ade¬ 
quately fund federal efforts to fight AIDS. The subcommit¬ 
tee voted on party lines, and 10 of the subcommittees 14 
Republican members disagreed with the report. 

Rep. Ted Weiss (D-NY) 
spoke for the majority of the 
subcommittee on intergovern¬ 
mental relations and human re¬ 
sources. Weiss, as chairman, 
said, “Tragically, funding levels 
for AIDS investigations have 
been dictated by political con¬ 
siderations rather than by the 
professional judgments of scien¬ 
tists and public health officials.” 

By “political considerations,” 

Weiss said, he meant that the 
Administration’s approach to 
AIDS had been influenced by 
“budgetary concerns,” not by 
the fact that the population 
hardest hit by the AIDS epi¬ 
demic has been homosexual 


Later in an interview Weiss 
said, “I have said many times 
that unconsciously, when there 
is a societally negative attitude 
toward a particular group, that 
will ultimately affect the deci¬ 
sion-making process.” 

Republicans disagreed; they 
said the report “offers findings 
and conclusions which are mis¬ 
leading and can create a very 
wrong impression of the federal 
response” to AIDS. 

Declaring that “it is impor¬ 
tant to keep the chronology of 
events in mind,” the dissenters 
said that when requests for 
funding first were made, “the 
public health problem with 
AIDS was not as critical as it 
would become.” 

BURTON ADDS VOICE 

Meanwhile in San Francisco, 
Rep. Sala Burton, reacting to 
several SF Chronicle articles on 
federal footdragging on AIDS 
funding and research, called for 
an independent watchdog com¬ 
mittee to be set up. 

“These disclosures are a sad 
verification of what has long 
been apparent: the federal re¬ 
sponse to AIDS has been slow 
and, until recently, wholly in¬ 
adequate,” Rep. Burton said in 
a statement released last week. 

“Throughout the past year, 
medical researchers, members 
of the affected communities, and 
Members of Congress have 
urged greater action on AIDS. 
Each time we have been told 
that everything possible was be¬ 
ing done. 

“A primary problem has been 
that federal health officials are 
responsible both for reporting 
health needs to budget authori¬ 
ties and for justifying to the 
public the budget figures ap¬ 
proved by the Administration, 
regardless of whether or not 
these figures are adequate. 

“It is time to restore credibil¬ 
ity to the federal AIDS budget 
process. I have today asked Sec¬ 
retary Heckler of the Depart¬ 
ment of Health and Human Ser¬ 
vices to set up an independent 
committee of medical experts 
and others to oversee federal 
AIDS efforts and to recommend 
priorities and funding needs for 
the duration of this epidemic. 

“Such a committee can make 
use of the vast scientific re¬ 
sources of this country in setting 
an agenda for the effort to com¬ 
bat AIDS and can eliminate any 
doubts in the minds of the public 
about the veracity of future 
claims about this effort,” Rep. 
Burton said. 

Back in Washington, the 
committee called for similar ac¬ 
tion. The committee urged the 
federal government to create an 
independent panel to review re¬ 
search and develop strategies to 
fight AIDS and said established 


Sala Burton calls for watchdogs on 
AIDS budgeting. 

procedures are needed to expe¬ 
dite the awarding of research 
grants during such emergencies. 
It also recommended that 
money be appropriated to a re¬ 
volving fund for health emer¬ 
gencies that was recently author¬ 
ized by Congress. 

Some House observers felt 
that the AIDS funding issue was 
falling prey to partisan politics. 
The report said, “The Adminis¬ 
tration has not exercised suffi¬ 
cient leadership to ensure that 
adequate resources have been 
available for its No. 1 health 
priority . . . Funding requests 
have also been delayed, hamper¬ 
ing the ability of the Public 
Health Service scientists to effec¬ 
tively plan and carry out their 
work with the urgency demand¬ 
ed by this epidemic.” 

Public health officials at the 
Department of Health and 
Human Services were aware of 
the need for increased funding to 
fight AIDS at the end of 1981, 
the report said, but the Admin¬ 
istration did not initiate requests 
for additional money until last 
May. Until then, the report said, 
funds to cope with the new 
emergency “were only made 
available through diversions of 
resources from other health ac¬ 
tivities or through congressional- 
ly initiated . . . appropriations.” 
PUBLIC HEALTH MUM 

Trying to stay out of the fray, 
Public Health spokeswoman 
Shirley Barth told reporters that 
officials at the Department of 
Health and Human Services had 
no comment on the report. 

Rather than get lost in rheto¬ 
ric, Barth turned to the figures. 

Barth said Congress has ap¬ 
propriated $48.2 million for 
fiscal 1984 to combat AIDS, in¬ 
cluding $35 million for the Na¬ 
tional Institutes of Health and 
$12 million for the Centers for 
Disease Control. 

In 1982, $5.5 million was ap¬ 
propriated for AIDS, compared 
to $39.8 million in 1983, Barth 
said. Two other highly publi¬ 
cized outbreaks, legionnaire’s 
disease and toxic shock syn¬ 
drome, received total authoriza¬ 
tions of $15.9 million and $4.3 
million, Barth said. ■ 


Hongistos Host Alice 
Christmas Party 

Elizabeth and Supervisor 
Richard Hongisto will host this 
year’s Alice B. Toklas Les¬ 
bian/Gay Democratic Club’s 
annual Christmas party. 

The party, for members and 
their guests, will be from 5 til 9 
this Saturday, December 17, at 
the Hogisto home located at 
114 Broderick. For info call 
Tom Bujxton at 864-1774 or 
Dennis Collins at 285-6292 ■ 


Parade’s 
Celebrity Santas 

W eather permitting, the Les¬ 
bian/Gay Freedom Day Com¬ 
mittee will once again be putting 
celebrity Santas out on the street 
corner at 18th & Castro this 
Saturday and Sunday after¬ 
noons. Comedian/singer Lea 
DeLaria and her accompanist 
Jeanine will appear white- 
bearded and red-suited early 
Saturday afternoon, and Sister 
Boom Boom’s lap will be avail¬ 
able for several hours Sunday 
afternoon. 

At press time, other con¬ 
firmed Santas include Lesbian/ 
Gay Health Services Coordi¬ 
nator and Parade Board mem¬ 
ber Pat Norman, plus Gay 
Eagle Scout and legal battle 
winner Timothy Curran, also on 
Sunday afternoon. Polaroid 
prints and possibly buttons with 
a picture of you on the lap of 
your favorite Santa for $2 will 
benefit the Parade Committee. 


Santas. (Photo: Kink) 


Visit JEFCO and check out our Huge Selection of 

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BAY AREA REPORTER DECEMBER 15, 1983 PAGE 13 













SF’s Muni: Getting Us Somewhere or Nowhere? 


New Muni Head Pledges the Best Yet 


by Allen White 


Part 2 

ERRATIC DRIVERS 

The best news about rude 
drivers is that strict new 
discipline procedures are being 
developed. It is nothing new for 
Muni passengers to find that 
some drivers seem to be paid to 
be unpleasant. Many drivers ap¬ 
pear incapable of finding a curb 
and others simply pass up wait¬ 
ing passengers for no apparent 
reason. Safety records attest to 
the fact that many drivers use 
the hills of San Francisco to turn 
vehicles into out of control roller 
coaster rides. 

W itli the new discipline pro¬ 
cedures is the installation of a 
new computer tracking device. 


Drivers are being slotted into 
all sorts of upgraded training 
programs. Training manuals are 
being revised, refresher pro¬ 
grams are being given, drivers 
are spending more time in train¬ 
ing, and the drivers that mess up 
are going to find themselves 
under strict supervision. 

Management of Muni were 
highly suspect of charges that 
their drivers were guilty of the 
dastardly deeds of which they 
were accused. Spokespersons for 
Muni said that many times a bus 
is not just sitting at a location 
but is disabled. Supervisors, it 


__ *•*> rr S 3 II 

{£ Jf » » * j® 2- I 



It here the crunch is u ith Muni Metro — as they couple and uncouple in 
the shadow of the Mint. (Photo: Kink) 


The 1684 system will give a 
signal from every Muni vehicle. 
The signal vv ill show on a com¬ 
puter map at central control and 
a bus w ill be tracked through its 
entire run. A reason for the new 
sy stem is scheduling and safety . 
A by-product will be to show if 
a driver had decided to skip a 
run and eat a hamburger at the 
end of his line. 


w as pointed out, should know of 
missed runs and they are sup¬ 
posed to discipline wayward 
drivers. They implied there are 
enough checks in the system to 
keep control on the scheduling 
throughout the sy stem. Against 
that is the overwhelming 
number of patrons who have 
horror stories about the Muni 
system. 


CUSTOMER COMFORT 

The 100 degree plus temper¬ 
atures on the Muni Metro, the 
scratchy windows and the 
ripped seats are the joke of the 
city. Believe it or not, help is on 
the way. The windows of the 
busses are being replaced. 
$300,000 is being spent to install 
new untinted nonscratchy glass. 
New windows started to appear 
in September, and the job will be 
completed by May of next year. 

There is also a program to rid 
the system of ripped seats. In 
1984, fiberglass seats will be in¬ 
stalled on Muni. This is a ma¬ 
jor step tow ards giving the rider 
a pleasant trip. 

Muni Metro patrons are go¬ 
ing to have to wait, and prob¬ 
ably a long time, to see a 
temperature drop on the rush 
hour trains. The system is a vic¬ 
tim of the theory that San Fran¬ 
cisco is a naturally air condition¬ 
ed city. That was the reason 
given for not installing air con¬ 
ditioning. Muni claims that the 
temperature is kept at the 68 to 
72 degree level. Passengers 
stuck in the subway with 300 
plus people on one car can feel 
the temperature rise to over 100 
degrees of uncirculated air. For 
some kind of relief, the Muni 
people are considering the in¬ 
stallation of small vents for cross 
ventilation in the trains. There 
is no date set for the work to 
start. 

The problems of the system 
compound in a crisis. An area of 
questionable safety is the 
underground Metro system. 
Currently what is known as 
“trainlining” is being phased in¬ 
to operation. “Trainlining” 
means that one operator controls 
all the cars in a coupled train. 
During rush hours over 1000 
people are carried on a four-car 
train. That is more people than 
there are seats on the main floor 
of the Castro Theatre. 

One knowledgeable person 
told the Bay Area Reporter , 
“Trainlining” is a tragedy 
waiting to happen.” Should 
there be an accident or a crisis 
in the subw ay, there will be on¬ 
ly one driver. In a four car train, 


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the driver is unable to get to the 
other three cars without actual¬ 
ly going outside the train and re¬ 
entering. Any communication 
between cars can only be done 
over a small intercom located on 
each car. Nobody wanted to 
venture an opinion on the con¬ 
sequences should an accident 
happen. By using fewer drivers, 
“trainlining” is designed to save 
money. 

A crisis of a different kind 
almost took place last Hallo¬ 


ly 50% or 60% of the cars are 
answered. The main reason, 
they say, is that the physical 
equipment is archaic. The city 
government is working on a new 
telephone system and this is to 
incorporate the new Muni infor¬ 
mation line. 

Though denied by Muni 
management, there is reason to 
believe that Muni information 
operators are under virtually no 
supervision and many operators 
simply hang up the phone on 



Harold Geissenheimer. Muni’s 
(Photo: Rink) 


top banana , who pledges improvements. 


ween in the Castro. Muni was 
late in implementing alternate 
scheduling for the trolley busses 
when the street closed. What 
resulted was severe criticism 
from police and monitors when 
thousands were left without 
transportation out of the Castro 
area. Police were concerned that 
violence might break out. Police 
were further aggravated because 
nobody seemed to know where 
the bus stops were. Diesel bus 
drivers which replaced the 
trolleys were unaware of the 
alternate routes. 

The Muni management 
moved to assure local Gays that 
the situation would never hap¬ 
pen again. The big test was the 
Milk/Moscone march on No¬ 
vember 27. Muni contacted 
police officials and march 
organizers. The results were in¬ 
creased diesel bus service on the 
8 Castro line. Extra Muni Metro 
cars were scheduled. Each bus 
stop in the Castro area carried 
alternate route information. The 
service that resulted was superb 
and an example of the new effort 
by Muni to serve its customers. 

Transit information in San 
Francisco is obtained by dialing 
the 673-MUNI information 
number. Muni spokespersons 
acknowledge that at present on¬ 


passengers when they tire of 
answering calls. 

Central control is the nerve 
center for the Muni operations. 
They are responsible for getting 
the system moving. W hen there 
is an accident or a delay, they 
are the first to know. Because 
the system is so plagued with 
delays, there is no time to call 
the information office to pass on 
revised scheduling information. 
The result is that Muni informa¬ 
tion operators are simply not 
told of any changes and are rare¬ 
ly made aware of any schedul¬ 
ing changes that would affect 
their answer to a customer in¬ 
quiry. Furthermore, several of 
the operators stated that the 
people in Central control resent 
being bothered with requests for 
information regarding service. 

The problems with Muni are 
certainly not new. What is new 
is the commitment to turn the 
system around. Mayor Dianne 
Feinstein has given top priority 
to Muni. Supervisor Richard 
Hongisto is starting to use all the 
power at his disposal to make 
the Muni accountable to the 
people of San Francisco. If 
necessary, he said, he will start 
playing “rough and dirty” if that 
is what it takes to get results. 

In addition to the new Muni 
(Continued on page 22) - 


Mail Mini Complaints 

Harold Geissenheimer is the General Manager of the Muni 
Railway. He pledged that he will read all correspondence 
directed to his attention. The writer will receive a reply. It 
is in all passengers* interest to provide the Muni General 
Manager with information about any problems they have with 
Muni. All incident reports should carry the bus number, the 
driver number, the location of the incident, and the name 
of the line. All complaints are logged. 

Harold Geissenheimer also has encouraged people to let 
him know the identity of drivers who have provided excep¬ 
tional service to passengers. The mailing address is: Harold 
Geissenheimer, General Manager, San Francisco Municipal 
Railway, 040 Presidio Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94115. ■ 


BAY AREA REPORTER DECEMBER 15, 1983 PAGE 14 




































FINANCIAL PLANNING 


Investing Wisely 


M oney. Face it. We all like it. 
We would all like more of 
it. Most of us would like all 
we could get. Money’s real im¬ 
portance is due to its ability to 
increase the number of possible 
lifestyle options and opportuni¬ 
ties open for consideration in our 
developing lives. It’s a simple 
equation. The more money we 
control, the more real choices we 
have in the pursuit of our lives. 

How do we get more money? 
Short of receiving an inheri¬ 
tance, winning a lottery, or hit¬ 
ting it big at the Nevada tables, 
there are only two ways. We can 
work and earn more, or our 
money can work and earn more. 
Wise investing is what the latter 
way is all about. 

In a discussion of money and 
investing let’s begin with the 
basics. There are only three 
things you can do with your 
money: you can spend it, lend it, 
or invest it. Notice I didn’t say 
“save” it. In reality no one saves 
money in our system. If you 
maintain a hoard of cash around 
the house, that’s not savings. 
That’s simply a decision not to 
use your money. Most people’s 
concept of saving money is via 
deposits at their trusted neigh¬ 
borhood bank or savings and 
loan. Reality here is that you are 
not saving, rather you are lend¬ 
ing your money. By establishing 
an account at a financial institu¬ 
tion, you loan your money for a 
negotiated rate of interest to be 
paid to you. Now most have been 
conditioned to feel secure about 
lending because your deposits 
are supposedly insured and there 
are, theoretically, not supposed 
to be any risks to your money. 
The question here asked is what 
are the banks doing with your 
money? Well, they’re either 
loaning out your money to bor¬ 
rowers at higher rates of interest 
than they pay you or they are in¬ 
vesting your money again to 
make greater returns for them¬ 
selves. If the banks believe in in¬ 
vesting with your money, why 
aren’t more of you doing it for 
yourselves? The point here is 
that if making more money is the 
objective, then lending or what 
traditionally gets termed “sav¬ 
ing” is a very conservative, slow 
way to go. 

To maximize your efforts at 
money growth (properly termed 
capital appreciation) you must 
leave the lending realm and enter 
investing. One major event hap¬ 
pens when you cross from lend¬ 
ing to investing. That event is 
that you give up “guarantees” 
and you accept “degrees of risk.” 

Fact: there is no investment 
without an element and degree 
of risk. In financial planning the 
old axiom is “the higher the re¬ 
ward, the greater the risk.” Wise 
investing constitutes the effort to 
pursue the greatest potential re¬ 
wards while restraining the levels 
of potential risks. 

I n evaluating risk there are 
two main concerns. First you 
have the “quantifiable” con¬ 
cerns: is the investment on an 
economically sound foundation, 
has management a proven suc¬ 
cessful track record, are there 
serious environmental risks or 
political risks or market risks? 
As an investor you can and you 
should expect to answer and 
evaluate these concerns. The 
second main risk question re¬ 
volves around how much and 
what type of risk you are person¬ 
ally prepared to live with. Any 
investment that causes you to lie 
awake at nights is simply not a 
good investment for you no mat¬ 
ter how well it is perceived by 
others. 


BURNEY ALLGOOD 


So your first approach to wise 
investing is in understanding 
your tolerance for risk in your 
financial affairs. Your second 
decision is what to invest in. The 
broad categories for investment 
are well-known: stocks, land, 
buildings, bonds, metals, 
energy, commodities, collecti¬ 
bles, new ventures. The under¬ 
lying premise about all investing 
is that, in one form or another, 
you are investing in a business. 
All investing should be evaluated 
as a business deal. 

In order to evaluate the busi¬ 
ness component of investing, you 
will have to examine the pro¬ 
posals and concepts yourself or 
seek professional investment ad¬ 
vice. Most investors get in over 
their level of comprehension due 
to 1) not knowing how to evalu¬ 
ate an investment accurately and 
2) not being aware of the full 
range of investment options open 
to them. To illustrate this point 
simply consider the circum¬ 
stances of a sizable number of 
Bay Area investors who incor¬ 
rectly assumed that any income 
property real estate had to be a 
good investment. These now 
wiser investors find themselves 
living with true negative cash 
flows (they lose money every 

Investing for Gays 
should also be an en¬ 
joyable pursuit. 


month), little or no property ap¬ 
preciation, and the burdens of 
management and maintenance 
on the property. To illustrate fur¬ 
ther, consider also those indi¬ 
viduals who jumped on the gold 
bandwagon when it soared over 
$800 an ounce. Not knowing 
anything about the fundamen¬ 
tals of the precious metals 
market, these investors now hold 
assets that have declined in value 
by 50% from the level pur¬ 
chased. 

The third element of wise in¬ 
vesting is understanding the im¬ 
portance of timing. All business, 
therefore all investing, is cyclical. 
There are highs and lows 
throughout any investment 
arena. As a wise investor you 
need to be knowledgeable as to 
the economic conditions that de¬ 
termine the cyclical patterns in¬ 
herent in the investments you 
consider. Another significant 
factor about timing in investing 
is the clear awareness of how 
much time you are willing to 
allot for the development and 
maturing of your prospective 
investments. 

The time spans you allow 
yourself for investment growth 
will sharpen the focus as to what 
investment you should consider. 
For example, if you are interested 
in short-term speculation (less 
than six months), you obviously 
aren’t going to plunge into real 
estate because real estate’s very 
nature dictates a longer holding 
period. Following this example, 
if you want short-term specula¬ 
tion, you 11 opt for the stock 
market individual securities, or 
commodities futures, or possibly 


foreign currencies. Remember, 
the shorter the term you allow for 
your investments, the higher the 
level of volatility and market risk 
you must accept. Frankly, wise 
investing usually precludes mar¬ 
ket speculations. Speculating 
remains somewhere between in¬ 
vesting and gambling. 

Let’s recap at this point. Wise 
investing requires 1) acceptance 
of a degree of risk; 2) compre¬ 
hension of the business compo¬ 
nent of the investment; 3) knowl¬ 
edge of the timing element as to 
cycles and holding periods. 

I n furthering yourself as a 
wise investor you must famil¬ 
iarize yourself with all of your 
options before you embark on an 
investment strategy. As an exam¬ 
ple, most people accept the con¬ 
cept of real estate as a good in¬ 
vestment medium. However, for 
whatever reason, many people 
are not temperamentally suited 
to buying individual pieces of 
property as an investment. This 
does not in any way preclude 
them from being real estate in¬ 
vestors. They have the options to 
choose from an abundance of ex¬ 
cellent real estate limited part¬ 
nership programs and real estate 
investment trusts. Through 
these programs you can often get 
into high-grade real estate for far 
less capital than attempting to 
buy a single piece of property by 
yourself. Also, consider those 
who would like to invest in gold 
but feel uncomfortable about 
possessing and storing the metal. 
These people have the option of 
participating in gold oriented 
mutual funds that enable them 
to invest in the gold market 
without having to deal with the 
metal directly. 

To become familiar with your 
range of investment options you 
should utilize the services of a 
financial professional. The prin¬ 
cipal professional in this field is 
the Certified Financial Planner. 
Additionally, there are accoun¬ 
tants and attorneys individually 
well-versed in investment knowl¬ 
edge. Also consider the product 
specialists such as stockbrokers, 
realtors, coin dealers, commod¬ 
ity brokers, and insurance agents 
who provide detailed analysis of 
the line of products they 
represent. 

The final factor in wise in¬ 
vesting is the proper analysis of 
what you want the investment to 
realistically do for you. The ma¬ 
jority of investment products 
contain multiple benefits for the 
prospective investor. A wise in¬ 
vestor seeks out investments that 
accomplish the precise blending 
of attributes consistent with the 
investor’s objectives. 

Investor objectives may in¬ 
clude growth of capital, tax 
deductible write-offs, ease of 
liquidity, tax-free income, safe¬ 
ty of principal, predictable cash 
distributions, income reinvest¬ 
ment options, etc. Investment 
formats designed to achieve 
financial objectives are varied. 
They include investment trusts, 
limited partnerships, mutual 
funds, fixed & variable annu¬ 
ities, tax-deferred retirement 
plans, individual equity & debt 
securities, mortgage instru¬ 
ments, collectible objects, bul¬ 
lion metals, and commodity fu¬ 
tures contracts. 

If well-researched and well- 
executed, wise investing should 
be an enjoyable pursuit. After 
all, getting wealthy is supposed 
to be a pleasant experience. 


Hongisto Sits Grand Jury on Muni 


Supervisor Richard Hongisto 
announced that he has written 
the San Francisco Civil Grand 
Jury requesting that they in¬ 
vestigate who was responsible 
for the purchase of 25 Grumann- 
Flexible buses and how they 
came to be stored on Port prop¬ 
erty in such a delapidated con¬ 
dition. He stated that the pur- 
pose of this request was to pre- 


vent such horrible blunders from 
happening in the future. 

Hongisto stated: “San Fran¬ 
cisco Muni riders will never get 
the service they deserve if the 
monies allocated Muni are miss¬ 
pent or wasted in such a blatant 
fashion. The fact is that Muni 
monies are being wasted and our 
people are being mistreated and 
hurt.” ■ 


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-J 

PAGE 15 


































Muni Mess 


WAYNE FRIDAY 


he understatement of the 
I year: “<>ur residents are dis- 
* satisfied with the Muni.” 
(Major Dianne Feinstein com¬ 
menting last week on the latest 
Muni furor!. . . ()ne of the con¬ 
sistent headaches this mayor, or 
am recent major, has had for 
jears, secmingij, has been the 
• itj s Municipal Railwaj sys¬ 
tem. A series of critical reports 
in the Chronicle recently only 
told us what thousands of San 
Franciscans alreadj know: that 
the Muni sjstem is a goddamn 
mess. Major Feinstein s going 
to a hastilj scheduled meeting of 
the Public Utilities Commission' 
to raise hell probablj won't 



in ft his campaign. 

change much either. The people 
in the citj who have to ride the 
Muni dailj have learned to take 
the poor service, the constantlj 
rude operators, and the filthy 
buses in stride. The mayor is 
quietly being criticized bj some 
for screaming about Muni onlj 
after the Chron series, but those 
around Feinstein know that the 
poor Muni service has long been 
a concern of hers and she seems 
determined to do something 
about it. 

There are some at ('itj Hall 
who claim that Rudj INo then- 
berg, the general manager of the 
PI C. on the job some ten 
months now, has had time to at 
least shake the place up. Others 
are quick to place the blame on 
former Muni boss Dick Sklar 
(“Sklar is a friend of mine, but 
the guj was next to impossible 
to work with.” claimed one 
supervisor this week). The 
mayor has served notice on 
Muni anti particularly its top 
brass that she wants some re¬ 
sults. Meanwhile, the public 
continues to put up with the 


lousj service — some 100 riders 
w aiting at the corner of 17th and 
Castro last week for a bus that 
finally showed up already 
packed — the driver ignored the 
waiting commuters and passed 
them bj. Good luck, madame 
major! 

S J enator John Glenn’s cam- 
i paign facing big troubles in 
" New York State. State Sena¬ 
tor Manfred Ohrenstein (D.L., 
Manhattan), the statewide chair 
of the Glenn campaign, says 
that he w ill leave the Glenn cam¬ 
paign if he cannot get the Ohio 
senator to change his policy of 
opposing a national Gay rights 
bill. Ohrenstein, one of INew 
fork's most liberal legislators 
and a longtime supporter of Gay 
rights, arranged a meeting in 
IN^ C this week with Glenn and 
INew ork Gaj leaders in an at¬ 
tempt to convince Glenn to re¬ 
verse his opposition to Gay 
rights (Glenn used a San Fran¬ 
cisco press conference recently to 
announce he opposes federal 
legislation protecting Gays, say¬ 
ing he does not want to “advo¬ 
cate or promote homosexu- 
alitj." 



Jesse Jackson says (rod's on his 
campaign. 


1 hardly recognized Dennis 
McQuaid the other day. The 
new Novato city councilman has 
grown a new moustache. • As if 
Senator Cranston's presidential 
campaign didn't have enough 
problems, the California senator 
is now being sued by two Maine 
av iation companies for $9,173 in 
bills they claim are long over¬ 
due. Cranston, meanwhile, has 
announced that NY Represen¬ 
tative Ted Weiss will become the 
new vice chairman of his na¬ 
tional campaign and will be di¬ 



Dianne Feinstein at her recall triumph jumped all over Muni brass this 
week after local press (including the Bay Area Reporter! jumped all over Muni. 
(Photo: Rink) 



Liz and Dick Ilongisto are hosting Alice Demos’ Christmas party where 
much club politicking is expected to take place. 


rector of his New York state ef¬ 
forts. • Mayor Feinstein hosting 
the SF chapter of the National 
Women's Political Caucus at her 
home tonight honoring the city’s 
women commissioners. • Con- 
gresspersons Burton and Boxer 
will receive an automatic pay 
raise beginning next month from 
the $69,800 a year they are now 
paid to $72,200. 

John Thiella will manage 
Carol Ruth Silver’s re-election 
campaign next year. Bill Barnes 
and company will reportedly run 
Kevin Starr’s supervisorial cam¬ 
paign along with Congress- 
woman Barbara Boxer’s re- 
election campaign. Mary 
()'Shea w ill direct the campaign 
against the Guichard scheme to 
reduce the number of supes from 
11 to 7. And Anthony Garrett, 
who ran Sheriff Hennessey’s 
highly successful re-election ef¬ 
fort, will join consultant Ron 
Smith as the day-to-day man¬ 



Fonzie will do drag role ? 


ager of Supervisor Jack Moli- 
nari's race to become president 
of the Board in 1984. 

Molinari’s re-election kickoff 
fundraiser at the St. Francis last 
week brought out a huge crowd 
including fellow Supervisors 
Britt, Hongisto, Kennedy, 
Maher, Renne, and Silver, with 
many taking note of Mayor 
F'einstein’s very friendly intro¬ 
ductory remarks about Molinari 
(the mayor bubbled with praise 
for her longtime ally and friend). 

Former Congressman John 
Burton hinting to Sacramento 
reporters that a political come¬ 
back might someday be in the 
cards. 

Who says this isn’t going to be 
an interesting presidential race? 
Hustler publisher Larry Flynt 
formally withdrew from the 
prexy race last week (“If 
nominated, I will not run; if 
elected, I will not serve,” Flynt 
wrote). . . while Jesse Jackson 
has the gall to tell a group of 
fellow Baptist ministers in L. A. 
last week (straight-faced and all) 
that God is with his campaign 
(“The Lord is with me; the Lord 
has made me a promise, and 
He’s never broken a promise; 


He’s never let me down.”). • 
And in Washington, comedian 
Joan Rivers attending President 
Reagan’s dinner for the king 
and queen of Nepal, said she is 
a supporter of Reagan and “a 
Republican for life” (but do you 
really care?). • National Gay 
Task Force boss Ginny Apuzzo 
gave a full page interview to 
USA Today last week and when 
asked how active the Gay move¬ 
ment will be at the Demo con¬ 
vention, replied, “Very active. 
I think the appropriate question 
is: how active will the Gay and 
Lesbian community be in the 
presidential election of 1984? 
That’s the larger question be¬ 
cause we have Gay Republicans 
also. Our theory will be to make 
1984 count. We’ve got to count 
ourselves in. Every organization 
is going to be asked to send us 
onlj the numbers that they’ve 
registered.” (The entire inter¬ 


view with USA Today showed 
again that Apuzzo is one of the 
best things to happen to the Gay 
movement. The woman handles 
herself like few other leaders.) 

Look for Henry Winkler, best 
known as the leather-jacketed, 
tough-talking Fonzie on TV’s 
“Happy Days,” to play the 
transvestite part in next year’s 
Los Angeles production of 
Torch Song Trilogy. • City 
Hall friends of Peter Nardoza 
are giving a going away party for 
the popular longtime mayoral 
aide next Tuesday, December 
21, 5-8 p.m. at the Atherton 
Hotel. Party organizers Dennis 
Collins and Betty Lim want to 
invite Peter’s friends to attend. 
• Milk Club President Carole 
Migden in New York for the 
holidays. • The pro-Christian, 
anti-Gay crazies all over Polk 
Street. 

Superintendent of Public In¬ 
struction Bill Honig reportedly 
planning a higher statewide 
race. • Community College 
Board member John Riordan 
seriously ill in Kaiser. • Don’t 
forget Toklas’ holiday party this 
Saturday (the 17th, 5-9 p.m.) at 
the home of Dick and Liz Hon¬ 
gisto (members and guests only). 



John Burton, who left Congress 
under a cloud , talks about political 
comeback 


Parade Committee Adopts 
’84 Theme 

New Board Elected, Few New Faces 

by Konstantin Berlandt 

The Lesbian/Gay Freedom Day Committee Sunday voted 
to adopt a national theme for the 1984 Parade slogan June 
24: “Unity and More in '84." 

The theme was first elected by delegates from 18 cities 
across the country at a convention of pride events organizers 
in San Diego Columbus Day weekend. It will also be 
bannered in New York and Los Angeles among other cities 
during late May and June-July 1 Stonewall commemorations 
of a gang of SSI queens also 
stitching), and the hot pink 
backdrop of the stage raised 
across the front of City Hall the 
last two years. Baker has work¬ 
ed with the Parade Committee 
for six years through two 
corporations. 

Reid Condit helped fashion 
the bylaws of the current Les¬ 
bian/Gay Freedom Day Com¬ 
mittee, formed in the fall of 
1980. He served on the Commit¬ 
tee's Board of Directors in his 
role as Secretary in 1981. He is 
an architectural draftsperson. 
Also joining the Board are Jon- 
na Harlan, last year’s float co¬ 
chair and a bartender at 
Maud’s, and Debra Friedland, 
1983 Committee Treasurer and 
coordinator of the 1982 Parade 
c , i j raffle. Friedland is Director of 

Seven people were elected to thc Lyon-Martin Women’s 
the Committee s Board of D.- Hea]th Clinic . 


next summer. 

The Committee is now solic¬ 
iting artists’ conceptions of the 
theme for a logo to illustrate 
letterhead, buttons and T-shirts. 
Logos brought to the Sunday, 
January 8 general membership 
meeting at the Women’s Build¬ 
ing, 3543 - 18th Street near 
Valencia will be voted on. For 
information call the Parade of¬ 
fice (415) 861-5404 (leave 
message). 

The Committee’s General 
Membership also reconfirmed 
the June 24th date of the 
Parade, rejecting after a little 
debate a suggestion the Parade 
be moved to three weeks later on 
the Sunday before the opening of 
the Democratic National Con¬ 
vention here, Monday, July 16. 


rectors that also includes the 
current officers and last year’s 
Co-Chairs. New to the Board 
are: 

Gilbert Baker, Queen of 
FTagamania (formerly Sister 
Chanel 2001), the Betsy Ross 
designer/seamster of both the 
giant rainbow flag carried in the 
Parade every year (with the help 


Re-elected to the Board were 
’82 Parade Co-Chair Glenne 
McElhinney, ’81 Co-Chair Bar¬ 
bara Cameron, and city Health 
Department Lesbian/Gay 
Health Services Coordinator Pat 
Norman, serving on the cor¬ 
poration’s Board since its 
inception. ■ 


BAY AREA REPORTER DECEMBER 15. 1983 PAGE 16 

















PLANNING SAN FRANCISCO 

WHAT’S IN IT FOR US? 


South of Market: Then 
and Tomorrow 

CHUCK FORESTER 

In San I rancisco 1984 may be the Year of the Plan. Major work 
is underway at the City Planning Department for two areas: 
Downtown and South of Market. Because the Lesbian/Gay com¬ 
munity has a direct stake in the South of Market, let s talk about 
that part of town. 


SOME BACKGROUND 

or Gay men things got start¬ 
ed South of Market when 
FeBe’s opened their shroud¬ 
ed doors in the early 60s and the 
Tool Box got started at 4th off 
Harrison. These dark and un¬ 
advertised bars were hiding; 
they were hard to find on pur¬ 
pose. Men who wore black 
leather in 1962 weren’t too 
popular elsewhere; they were 
asked to leave the “better” bars 
in the Tenderloin and on Polk 
Street. Not to be deterred, they 
found a place of their own. And 
once they had it, they ousted the 
fluffy sweaters and smartly 
pressed slacks that were the rage 
in 1962. So there! 


Handball Express, the Club 
Baths at 8th/Howard, and the 
Hothouse. 

As a hotel, the Barracks was 
good for a weekend or a couple 
of days. The idea of actually liv¬ 
ing in the neighborhood began 
to take hold. Apartments 
around the bars and baths be¬ 
came popular with Gay men 
who preferred the cheap rents 
and atmosphere of a warehouse 
district to the more popular 
neighborhoods like Castro and 
Haight Streets. For these men 
the place had everything except 
a laundromat and a super¬ 
market. Jobs downtown were 


City Planning Commission. 

SPUR (San Francisco Plan¬ 
ning and Urban Research) look¬ 
ed at the South of Market area 
in 1981 and prepared “A Plan 
for San Francisco’s Last Fron¬ 
tier.” Some of their graphics 
describe the area and their pro¬ 
posed uses for the future. 

Supervisor Bill Maher recent¬ 
ly introduced legislation that 
puts a temporary hold on South 
of Market office construction 
and conversions while the 
Department of City Planning 
draws up a plan. “I don’t want 
us to become a one-crop town. 
Not everyone fits into a tie and 
shirt.” A major objective of 
Maher’s legislation is to protect 
the low-scale, light industrial, 
qualities of the area. 

The supervisor offers some 
startling statistics: 

1. There are 6-8,000 jobs 
South of Market, including half 
the auto repair shops in the city, 
the flower marts, all the remain¬ 
ing wholesale butchers, and 150 
printers. 

2. There are thousands of 
housing units, some of the last 
low-cosLunits in the city. 

3. Transit to the area is poor: 
while 85% of the workers 
Downtown take transit to work, 



Light industry has been the sign of South of Market for generations. 


A warehouse district, South of 
Market was the least likely place 
for a Gay bar. Many of the gen¬ 
tle folk thought a trip down 
there was fraught with danger. 
One was putting his cologned life 
in jeopardy. All the better for a 
“manly” bar. 

And business was good. 
Leather bars popped up like 
studs on a wristband. Rent was 
cheap, and basic decor was 
black paint, a bar to stand at, 
and a license. Not large in¬ 
vestments, these bars were 
started by the enthusiasm for 
leather, not wealth. 

Another significant change 
South of Market were the baths. 
Ritch Street opened off the 
beaten South of Market track, 
then the Barracks Hotel opened 
on Folsom Street. The South of 
the Slot followed suit, then the 


close, housing was cheap, and 
the VD clinic was around the 


PLANS FOR TOMORROW 

T hings are hot South of Mar¬ 
ket. Of course, some know 
that already. But in this col¬ 
umn plans for South of Market 
means real estate not Saturday 
night at Chaps. We are talking 
land use, as they say in the plan¬ 
ning biz. 

In the past five years office 
growth has spilled across 
Market Street as Downtown has 
filled up. And the Moscone 
Center has created a boom in the 
surrounding area. The Yerba 
Buena Center, once completed, 
w ill further that boom. South of 
Market is changing rapidly. To 
date, no formal plans for the 
area have been adopted by the 


only 50% of the workers take 
transit to South of Market jobs. 

South of Market is the second 
or third largest concentration of 
Lesbian/Gay businesses in the 
city. It is also an important 
resource of low-cost housing. 
And the city is in no position to 
replace that housing if it is dis¬ 
placed by commercial activity. 
“While Gays have been accused 
of gentrif ication in some parts of 
town, they may become the vic¬ 
tims of it in another,” notes Bill 
Maher. 

A s we have succeeded in gain¬ 
ing greater equality for Les¬ 
bians and Gays in housing 
and employment in the city, it 
becomes harder to differentiate 
“Gay” issues from “straight” 
issues in city planning matters. 
In the South of Market we have 
(Continued on page 22) 



South of Market’s 6th Street’s resident and transient hotels — worth saving? Where would the people go next? 


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(Iristas in ((ayland 

The Haight Goes for Purple Bunting, Toys, 
Santas . . . and Still the Street People 

by Dianne Gregory 


P urple flags. Not red and green, gold, or any other color of the rainbow. Not garlands or 
lights strung between the lampposts. Purple flags hang from the lightpoles on Haight Street 
this Christmas as a symbol of the season. Purple is the color of advent candles (I guess), and 
the flags are certainly more tasteful than that tacky, tacky tree sitting in the middle of Union 
Square. Bill Dietsch, part owner of Play With It, a toy store on Haight Street, said some of the 
merchants had gotten together to buy the flags and chose purple because if they weren’t red 
and green they could be “used for other occasions.” Okay, fine. 



I wandered up and down 
Haight Street one cold and rainy 
afternoon recently, one of those 
inevitable winter days in San 
Francisco. I live right around 
the corner on Ashbury and had 
watched the street and its peo¬ 
ple adjust to the change from the 
hot, hot days of late summer to 
the cooler days of fall and rains 
of winter. The kids in New 
\X ave regalia hanging out on 
street corners and doorways, 
and parading up and down the 
avenue, became less numerous 
as their ranks were thinned by 
the restrictions of school and 
weather. The panhandlers and 
street people seemed to become 
both more desperate and more 
numerous as the festivities of 
Halloween came and went and 
the bad weather set in. 

Christmas on Haight Street is 
a combination of eccentric com¬ 
mercialism and unmitigated 
squalor. The Upper Haight 
merchants have decorated with 
a vengeance, purple flags and 
all. The Daisy Chain at 1606 
Haight has a moving Santa, col¬ 
ored balls, lights, poinsettias — 
you name it — in its window. 
Fringe Benefits down the street 
at 1600 Haight has a Christmas 
garland made of dried peppers. 
And Etc. Etc. Etc. (1560 
Haight) has little stuffed ani¬ 
mals set in the snow in the win¬ 
dow with its Christmas lights. 
You can buy a tree at the Shop 
and Save for $25; the Antique 
Collector's Showplace (1529 
Haight) has a pair of antique 
Santa and Mrs. Claus statues 
for sale, and the St. Vincent de 
Paul thrift store has children’s 
toys and clothes in its window . 
Both Haight’s Victoria liquor 
store and the Achilles Heel 
(known in some circles as the 
“het bar”) have signs saying 
"Happy New Year” in their 
w indows, and the Liquid Expe¬ 
rience has an arrangement of fall 
leaves, pussy willows, and other 
dried flowers. And Off the Wall 


Framing , posters , prints — all in Christmas color at Haight Street’s 
Off the Hall. (Photo: Rink) 


glistens with its hundreds of 
framed prints and posters. 

Play With It toys is the store 
that best personifies Christmas 
on Haight Street. It is decorated 
to the hilt inside and out, and 
you can buy anything from a 
$135 dragon puppet made by 
Dietsch himself to telescopes, 
footballs, hula hoops, bicycles, 
or even a purple “Queen Eliza- 
bear.” Dietsch does not carry 
Cabbage Patch dolls, and would 
not tell anyone even if he did be¬ 
cause, as he said, “I don’t want 
to get beat up.” 

B usiness is good at Dietsch’s 
store; customers come and 
go by the dozen. But right 
outside, in the doorway of the 
gone but not forgotten Kiss My 
Sweet, the street people, the 
homeless, w hatever you want to 
call them, congregate. On the 
afternoon I visited, a group was 
try ing to raise money for some¬ 


thing and asked us for a dime as 
Dietsch and I walked down the 
street for a cup of coffee. On our 
return trip, something seemed to 
have scattered the group, and 
just one sick-looking old man 
was left lying in the doorway 
struggling to get up. Dietsch 
says he thinks the preponder¬ 
ance of street people in the 
Haight is unusually high and 
blames what he says is a ru¬ 
mored clean-up project by the 
mayor’s office and the San Fran¬ 
cisco Police Department to clear 
all the bums out of South of 
Market around the Moscone 
Center in anticipation of the 
Democratic National Conven¬ 
tion next year. He says this has 
"driven them into the neighbor¬ 
hoods. ” 

Whether this is true or not I 
don’t know. All I know is that 

(Continued on next page I 





Haight Street — lavender flags for Christmas outside of the street’s favorite dance palace, the I-Beam. (Photo: Rink) 


BAY AREA REPORTER DECEMBER 15, 1983 PAGE 18 











































The Atherton Hotel turned out for Christmas, one bright spot between the 
Tenderloin and Polk. (Photo: Rink) 


Instructors Sought for Berkeley Gay Studies 


The Multicultural Lesbian 
and Gay Studies Program at UC 
Berkeley is looking for people to 
each courses for the spring 1984 
term (January 18 to May 15). In 
the past we have sponsored 
courses on “Lesbian Literature” 
and “Lesbian and Gay Mental 
Health Issues.” Examples of 
future class topics might include 
“Lesbians and Gay Men in the 
Arts,” “Third World Lesbians 


and Gay Men,” “Lesbian and 
Gay American History,” etc. All 
classes taught for the program 
must represent a diversity of 
perspectives in regards to physi¬ 
cal ability, ethnicity, sex, class, 
age, and political orientation. 
The position will be pasically 
volunteer, but an honorarium is 
likely. For more information 
please contact Anna, Grahame 
or Peggy at (415) 642-6942. ■ 


Baskets galore, etc., etc., etc., waiting for holiday shoppers (Photo: Rink) 


(Continued from previous page) 

these people have no place to go, 
on Christmas or any other day. 
Sure, there’s charities that serve 
dinner on Christmas, there’s the 
Salvation Army, and the other 
shelters for the homeless. There 
are all the countless private and 
government agencies that cater 
to the people of the street. But 


whatever it is that turns these 
people from the workaday world 
of warm beds and hot dinners, 
I think, but for the grace of my 
bank balance go I. And when I 
walk down Haight Street with 
its purple flags and moving San¬ 
tas, I wonder what it’s all about. 

■ 

D. Gregory 


What’s more, most of the bars 
and sex palaces that I called said 
that they weren’t doing anything 
special for Christmas. Business 
as usual. As Hal Call, the owner 
of Circle J, explained, “There’s 
always somebody lonely who 
wants to get into our scene on 
holidays, so we’ll be open.” 

My friend over at the Adult 
Art I and II, Bill, added, “The 
winos celebrate Christmas all 
year long.” 

I checked out the stores on 
Market between 6th and 7th, 
the site of much smart shopping. 
California Discount is selling 35, 
50, or 100 little lights on a string 
for $1.99, $2.99, and $3.99. 
Athena Hair Spray is only 79 
cents. A little further down the 
block, at Magic Dollar, leg 
warmers in red, brown, powder 
blue, and lavender are on sale 
for $2.59 or 2 for $5. If you’re 


down to the point where the 
thought is all that’s counting, 
there are bandanas for 79 cents 
or lovely little copper-bottom 
saucepans large enough for four 
sausages for $1.99. 

If your budget is a little big¬ 
ger, you can hike over four 
blocks to the Taste of Leather 
where there’s 30% off all vibra¬ 
tors and dildoes. 

I suppose that this part of the 
Tenderloin’s attitude to 
Christmas can be summarized 
by the Christmas program at the 
Strand. Christmas Eve you can 
celebrate midnight mass watch¬ 
ing The Dead Zone, Blue 
Thunder, or The Brood, a film 
memorable for Samantha Eg- 
gar’s depiction of a woman who 
gestates horrible little monsters 
in an external womb. For this 
portrayal she won a Divine. 
Forget your troubles on Christ- 


the lonely; nostalgia for better 
times can be debilitating and 
depressing. 

Father Floyd meets the chal¬ 
lenge. “Christmas is very special 
at Saint Anthony’s. We have 
turkey with all the trappings and 
trimmings of a traditional din¬ 
ner, and it is an unrestricted 
meal. It is the people’s feast.” 
He speaks of the spirit of joy in 
the dining room which surprised 
him. “The best Christmases of 
my life have been here. We real¬ 
ize we don’t have anything — no 
clothes, no beautiful warm front 
room to.go to with presents and 
a tree, but we have each other. 
There is joy. I see it erupt when 
someone plays the piano or 
starts a Christmas carol and 
every one joins in. The banquet 
of the poor is God’s banquet. 

“I’m overwhelmed sometimes 
by the presence of God in the 
dining room.” 

Father Floyd and I talked 
about the concept of sacred and 
profane time. Sacred time, be¬ 
cause it is always characterized 
by God’s appearance among us, 
partakes of eternal time. Hodie 
Christus natus est was the 
Christmas ‘greeting of the early 
devoted. Christ is born today, 
not Christ was born today. 
“Jesus becomes one of us,” 
Father Floyd said. 

Saint Anthony’s is flooded 
with volunteers for their Christ¬ 
mas meal. It is good to know 
that there are many people who 
w ill give up Christmas and find 
Christ among the hungry in the 
Tenderloin .U 


Christmas in Gayland 

The Tenderloin: It’s About Bars, and Tarts, 
St. Anthony’s Dining Room, and Jesus 
Among the Poor 


by Ronnetttte 


T he city of San Francisco might have begun life as a Spanish mission, but it wasn’t until it 
became a gold rush boom town in 1849 that it became the premier city of the American West. 
The San Francisco ethos is decidedly secular. I recall this fact because, in looking for 
Christmas in the Tenderloin, the only immediately visible signs were the tacky decorations in 
the box office of the Embassy and the swollen lines at the Seventh Street post office. 


mas Day with Apocalypse Now 
and Tora! Tora! Tora! (Or was 
that Torah, Torah, Torah?) 


T he problems that the pasto¬ 
ral team at Saint Boniface 
Church face on a daily basis 
are intensified as the cold and 
winter rains of Christmas ap¬ 
proach, Father Robert Phisterer 
told me. The transient parish¬ 
ioners sleep on the pews and set 
up camp near the radiator, as if 
warmth were a commodity that 
could be stored for future use. 
Next door at Saint Anthony’s 
Dining Room, Father Floyd 
Lotito observed that Christmas 
is a difficult time for the Ten¬ 
derloin community: the elderly, 
the mentally and physically dis¬ 
abled, the street people. The 
emotional overtones of this most 
family of holidays is difficult for 


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BAY AREA REPORTER DECEMBER 15, 1983 PAGE 20 


The Dangers of 
Sex Toys 


A Practical Consideration of Potential 
Sexual Injuries 

I n recent years, Bay Area physicians and nurses have not¬ 
ed a sharp increase in the number of persons (hetero¬ 
sexual and homosexual, men and women) with sexually- 
related injuries; only a few types have been publicly dis¬ 
cussed in educational ways (such as rape, incest, child abuse, 
wife-battery). Another group of sexual practices exists 
which is rarely mentioned in a practical way; these include 
sado-masochism (S&M), bondage and discipline (B&D), 
“fisting,” use of cockrings, nipple-piercing, and the use of 
dildoes and other objects. When not treated sensationalisti- 
cally, the subject of these practices is usually not addressed 
at all. 

Because of the potentially severe injuries (and deaths) 
associated with these practices, this fact sheet was prepared 
by a group of health workers as a precautionary guide to ex¬ 
plain briefly some of the dangers of and preventive precau¬ 
tions for these “unmentionable” sexual activities in hopes 
of promoting an increased public understanding of the 
medical risks involved. 

As health workers, we cannot recommend the practice of 
certain of these activities based on the potentially cata¬ 
strophic health problems which can (and often have) result; 
as fellow humans we recognize that each person will have to 
decide for himself whether or not to engage in these sexual 
practices. 

It is hoped that armed with more information about the 
health risks involved as well as more understanding of the 
anatomy, that members of this community can make a more 
informed decision about the types of sexual practices they 
choose, and also can be more alert to signs of health prob¬ 
lems arising from each of these practices. 


I. Binding Restraints used in 

S&M, B&D, on arms and legs 

A. Dangers: (due to pressure 

and tension) 

1. blood circulation cut off 

2. nerve damage 

3. muscle bruise, sprain, tears 

4. bone chips, dislocation 

B. Danger Signals 

1. numbness, coldness pins 
and needles, sharp pains 

2. cramping and inability to 
move hands, feet, fingers, 
toes 

3. skin turning blue or mottled 

4. severe pains at joints bound 

C. Possible Results 

1. possible tissue death, gan¬ 
grene, amputation 

2. possible paralysis 

3. decreased mobility, if sprain 
doesn’t heal right 

4. deformity and decreased 
function unless set properly 

D. What to do 

1. immediate release of bonds 

2. apply warm compresses, 
massage, and exercise 

3. for joint pains, apply ice. 

4. if not better within minutes 
see your MD immediately 

E. How to Avoid 

I. don’t use tight bonds, leath¬ 
er chords (shrink when wet) 
chains or unyielding clamps 
like handcuffs 

II. Bondage/Leashes/Collars 

around neck 

A. Dangers: 

1. cut off air supply to lungs 

2. cut off blood supply to head 

3. cracking larynx (voice box) 

B. Danger Signals 

1. can’t get breath, face turns 
blue or purple 

2. fainting 

3. pain and crunching sound- 
inability to speak 

C. Possible Results 

1. death by asphyxiation 

2. coma, brain damage, death 
by brain centers losing 
ability to control breathing 
and sustain life 

3. inability to speak perma¬ 
nently 

D. What to do 

1 . loosen immediately and go 
to MD if not all better 
in 2 - 3 minutes 

E. How to Avoid 

1. don’t use it 

2. if must, use soft, flexible, 
loose restraints. 

III. Disciplinary Measures in 

S&M and B&D. 

A. Dangers 

1. hemorrhage of internal 


organs secondary to 
punches against head and 
abdomen, and lower back 

2. broken ribs if vigorous 
punch to chest with possible 
lung collapse 

3. infections of areas where 
skin is broken 

B. Danger Signals 

1. fainting, dizziness, sharp 
pains in belly or shoulders, 
urinating blood, sudden loss 
of consciousness, problems 
with vision, loss of balance, 
vigorous vomiting, or per¬ 
sonality change 

2. sudden shortness of breath, 
coughing blood 

3. pus, redness, pain, heat 
and red streaks where open 
sores are 

C. Possible Results 

1. death or stroke due to in¬ 
ternal blood loss or brain 
damage 

2. death due to asphyxiation 
or bleeding in lungs 

3. widespread infection which 
can spread quickly to blood 
system. 

D. What to do 

1. (for all) go to MD im¬ 
mediately 

E. How to Avoid 

1. don’t do it or if you must, 
be gentle 

IV. Fisting 

A. Dangers 

1. rectal and intestinal infec¬ 
tions from scratches 

2. bleeding from tom blood 
vessels in intestinal lining 

3. perforating intestinal wall 

B. Danger Signals 

1. painful bowel movements 
with pus and perhaps blood 

2. bleeding from rectum with 
or without bowel move¬ 
ments 

3. fainting and dizzy spells, 
passing out, fever, abdom¬ 
inal pains, rectal bleeding 

C. Possible Results 

1. abscesses requiring surgical 
opening 

2. operation to sew over 
bleeding vessel 

3. death or colostomy from 
massive hemorrhage/in¬ 
fection 

D. What to do 

1. go to MD immediately and 
give exact history for all 

E. How to Avoid 

1. don’t do it 

2. if you do, don’t enter 
farther than 4-6” maximum 
(after 6” intestine makes 
sharp curve to left and 
intestine wall is easily pene¬ 
trated. There is no straight 


passage from rectum to 
mouth, but over 30 feet of 
winding dangerous path¬ 
ways 

3. avoid sharp objects (long 
fingernails, jewelry) 

V. Cockrings 

A. Dangers * 

1. If it gets stuck, pressure 
can act like a tourniquet 
and can block blood return 
from penis to the rest of 
the body. 

B. Danger Signals 

1. can’t remove 

2. swelling penis and scrotum 

C. Possible Results 

1. blood clot which perma¬ 
nently blocks special veins 
in pelvis 

2. can lead to permanent 
impotence 

D. What to do 

1. lubricate ring and remove 
immediately after sex 

2. if slightly stuck, lie down, 
put pillow under scrotum 
to elevate genitals and apply 
ice to reduce swelling 

3. if can’t get off within one 
to two hours, to to M.D. 

E. How to Avoid 

1. don’t use 

2. if you use, use type that can 
be easily removed (i.e. snap 
off or flexible elastic ma¬ 
terial) 

3. never forget to remove 
immediately after sex (or 
swelling later can make it 
stick) 

VI. Nipple Piercing and Rings 

A. Dangers 

1. infection, surface or deep 

2. bleeding 

3. constant injury and tears 
from catching on shirts, etc. 

B. Danger Signals 

1. soreness, heat, redness, 
swelling, fever, discharge 
of pus, sore glands in arm 
pits, pain with deep breathing 

2. blood oozing 

3. multiple tears 

C. Possible Results 

1. drainage of infection into 
chest cavity which leads to 
serious general infection, 
spreading skin infection as 
redness (cellulitis) or crusty 
draining sores all over body 

2. blood loss (not life threaten¬ 
ing) which can lead to 
infection 

3. chronic infection, scarring, 
pain, disfigurement, block¬ 
age of normal ducts can 
lead to cysts/abscesses 
under skin 

D. What to do 

1. go to M.D. for antibiotics 

2. pressure for 5 minutes, if 
not stopped, see M.D. 

3. remove ring, apply hot 
compresses and peroxide if 

looks infected go to M.D. 

E. How to Avoid 

1. don’t do it 

2. if you do, have done by 
M.D. under sterile conditions 

3. be careful not to irritate 
with pulling, catching, etc. 

VII. Dildoes and Foreign 

Bodies in Rectum. 

A. Dangers 

1. getting stuck 

2. perforating intestinal wall 

B. Danger Signals 

1. can’t get out (obvious) 

2. rectal bleeding, abdominal 
pains with pressure or 
motion, dizziness, fainting 

C. Potential Results 

1. need general anesthesia to 
remove with or without 
cutting abdomen open 

2. emergency surgery with pos¬ 
sible death 

D. What to do 

1. go to M.D. immediately 

E. How to Avoid 

1. don’t use 

2. if so, use only soft smooth, 

flexible rubber, relatively 

small ones 

3. NO GLASS or METAL with 
sharp edges 

4. don’t insert completely into 

rectum, leave part to be 

grasped for removal 

5. insert and remove slowly 

and gently g 


































AIDS - 

A Personal Exploration 

Part VI: Conclusion 

by Mike Hippier 

R eid Beitrusten, a former bartender at the Lion Pub only 34 years old, first discovered that 
he had KS in April of this year when a private physician asked him about the six purple spots 
on his arm and ran tests on him. Although he hadn't even noticed the spots before the doctor 
did, for a few months before they appeared he had known that something was wrong. He had 
had a series of minor diseases, such as impetigo and a six-week herpes attack, and his health 
was so feeble that he could not work. 


When KS was diagnosed, 
Reid’s physician referred him to 
San Francisco General, and he 
began a grueling series of treat¬ 
ments for the disease. First he 
was treated with interferon as an 
outpatient for two months. Be¬ 
cause he didn’t respond to the 
interferon, he was switched to 
chemotherapy. With the chemo¬ 
therapy he improved a great 
deal; unfortunately in August he 
came down with pneumocystis 
pneumonia and was forced to 
discontinue the treatments. 
Does Reid have any idea why 
his “luck” has been so bad, why 
one disease followed another in¬ 
exorably? “There’s some feeling 
that chemotherapy reduces im¬ 
munity,” he says. “But I’d be 
hesitant to say that that’s why I 
got pneumocystis. ” 

Like Patrick Walker, his 
neighbor on W ard 5B, Reid was 
treated with both Pentamadine 
and Septra for his pneumocystis, 
although in reverse order from 
Patrick. After thirteen days of 
Pentamadine, there was a severe 


drop in his white blood count, so 
he was switched to Septra. The 
Septra caused severe nausea and 
a total loss of appetite — for two 
weeks he was fed intravenously 
— but at least his condition 
stabilized, and in mid-Septem¬ 
ber he was sent home. There his 
mother, who had flown in from 
Miami, cooked for him — “It 
was the best thing I had going 
for me then” — and tried to 
nurse him back to health, but 
after he had been home only a 
short time, he developed a 102° 
temperature for five days and 
had to go back to the hospital. 
When I spoke with Reid the day 
after his readmittance to the 
ward, the doctors were testing 
again to see what was the mat¬ 
ter this time. His face and arms 
were covered with purple spots, 
and his breathing was labored. 
He seemed to be very, very tired. 

Like Patrick, Reid agrees that 
his sexual lifestyle probably had 
a lot to do with his contracting 
AIDS. Reid was rather more 
promiscuous than Patrick, how¬ 
ever. From two or three tricks a 
week he cut down to one in 


January (and he stopped going 
to the baths altogether), when he 
finally realized that AIDS was 
a serious threat. For a while he 
became “extremely paranoid;” 
then he got it anyway. He hasn’t 
had sex since his diagnosis, but 
it hasn’t bothered him much, for 
he says, “My drive is real low. 
It’s the last thing on my mind. ” 

Hadn’t Patrick said exactly 
the same thing? Suddenly, I am 
struck by the similar attitudes of 
the two men. Like Patrick, Reid 
does not blame his illness on be¬ 
ing Gay. “I’ve had a good time 
being Gay,” he says. “I erased 
the guilt when I was 13 years 
old, and there have been no re¬ 
grets since then. ” Nor can Reid 
believe that “there are still peo¬ 
ple who don’t seem to realize 
that [promiscuity] is a danger. 
The things to be done are so sim¬ 
ple. It amazes me to think that 
people don’t pay attention to 
them. ” 

Listening to Patrick and 
Reid, I begin to wonder if posi¬ 
tivism tempered by reason and 


caution is the indoctrinaire party 
line of San Francisco General’s 
AIDS ward. Are patients train¬ 
ed to think this way? No, I 
know better. These are simply 
two hopeful, cautious, and rea¬ 
sonable men who happen to find 
themselves in the same situation 
and know no other way to deal 
with their illness. No, wait, even 
that is wrong. Patrick and Reid 
know other ways to deal with 
their illness, I am sure. They 
simply chose to deal with it this 
way. But have I been set up, I 
wonder? Where is the bitter¬ 
ness, the sorrow? Have I been 
given the ward’s two Polly annas 
to interview? Perhaps. These 
were the only two of the twelve 
on the ward who agreed to speak 
to me, after all. Maybe the 
others are all locked in their 
rooms feeling sorry for them¬ 
selves — but I doubt it. 

Perhaps one reason that 
Reid’s attitude is so positive is 
that his family and friends have 
been “extremely supportive,” 
especially since he’s been in the 
hospital. His parents flew out 
from Miami when he got pneu¬ 


mocystis and have been in San 
Francisco ever since. They have 
known for fifteen years that 
Reid is Gay, which made it 
much easier for him to tell them 
about his illness in the first place 
and for them to cope with it. His 
friends (he prefers to call them 
his “guests”) visit every day, 
bring him presents, and have 
even thrown a surprise birthday 
party for him in the hospital. 
Only two people have backed 
away from him because of 
AIDS, Reid says. “I’ve heard 
all kinds of stories, but I haven’t 
experienced them. Of course, 
ni\ KS hasn’t been as obvious as 
it is now. When I stopped 
chemotherapy , my face was all 
cleared up. But most of my 
friends realize it isn’t easily com¬ 
municable anyway.” 

As if to underscore this fact, 
one of his friends stops by to visit 
while we are talking. His par¬ 
ents are also in and out of the 
room during the interview. In 
addition, Reid .is visited by the 
attending doctor, the woman 
who writes the menu, and clini¬ 
cal coordinator Cliff Morrison 
while I am there. W ith the con¬ 
stant interruptions, it is hard to 
see how Reid ever rests, but it is 
nice to know that he is no rec¬ 
luse, no isolated outcast. When 
a young man arrives to collect 
the garbage, however, he is 
wearing a mask — a reminder 
that some people still have fears 
of “contamination.” 

Reid feels that the individual 
attention he has received on 
Ward 5B has been “wonderful,” 
largely because the unit is “real 
personal.” Every fifteen minutes 
someone stops in to look after 
him and to see if he needs any¬ 
thing. “Their response is really 
warm,” he says. When asked if 
he is equally satisfied with the 
medical treatment he has re¬ 
ceived, he responds, “That’s a 
harder question. It’s been 
rough. And the food is horri¬ 
ble.” W hen pressed for details, 
Reid responds vaguely. Clearly 
he would be happier with his 
treatment if it were working bet¬ 
ter. But would he find more suc¬ 
cessful treatment elsewhere? 
Reid doesn’t know. 

Since coming down with 
AIDS, Reid has met a great 
many others with the disease, 
although he was the first and 
only of his old friends to get it. 
Most of his friends now, in fact, 
are people who have AIDS, and 
most of these he has met through 
the clinic at San Francisco Gen¬ 
eral. He is not presently a mem¬ 
ber of any kind of support 
group, however. His reason is 
simple. When Reid first got 
AIDS he went to a Shanti meet¬ 
ing and spent his time “distrib¬ 
uting boxes of Kleenexes.” It 
was an unpleasant experience 
for him, and he said to himself, 
“I don’t really want to be a part 
of this. My life is already shorter 
than it was going to be. The last 
thing I want to do is to spend my 
time lamenting and crying.” 

W hich brings us to the main 
point. Twice Reid has men¬ 
tioned that he has less time left 




to live than other people. He 
seems to accept that as fact, to 
take it for granted. Does he in¬ 
deed think that he’s dying then? 
The other AIDS patient with 
whom I spoke, Patrick, talked 
about the future and counted on 
it. Does Reid think he even has 
a future? “I don’t know,” he 
candidly admits. “I have to be 
realistic. I have not been re¬ 
sponding to treatment very well. 
And I have thought about dy¬ 


about him. Finding out that one 
of Reid’s ex-co-workers was also 
an ex-boy friend of mine changed 
that for me. 

I also realized as my friends 
and I spoke that in some ways, 
despite the obvious KS spots or 
the giveaway cough of pneumo¬ 
cystis patients, AIDS is an in¬ 
visible disease. I thought I had 
no friends with AIDS other than 
Steve Corpuz, but is that true? 
There are hundreds of people I 


Reid Beitrusten died 
on December 2 — in his home 
in San Francisco. 

R./.P. 


ing. For a while, when I was 
first diagnosed with PCP, I was 
terrified, and I thought that 
death was already here. I wasn't 
eating. I didn’t have any will to 
live. But then a doctor told me, 
‘I see someone who really enjoys 
life being extinguished in the 
hospital. There are no guaran¬ 
tees that if you leave you’ll get 
better, but since you’ve stabil¬ 
ized, you might consider it.’” 

Reid acted upon the doctor’s 
suggestion, and at home, with 
his parents’ care, he changed his 
attitude about dying. He is no 
longer terrified of the possibility. 
Instead, he says, “Fear doesn’t 
really seem to have any place in 
dealing with life. ” He has made 
no preparations for death, such 
as writing a will, but “It is 
something I definitely have to 
do,” he notes. “The reason I’m 
avoiding it is laziness rather than 
denial, I think.” I think so too. 
I have known Reid only an 
hour, but it seems obvious that 
this is someone who isn’t deny¬ 
ing anything. He knows what 
the future may hold. He only 
wants to make the best of what 
he has for as long as he has it. 

★ ★ ★ 

ot until I returned home 
from San Francisco General 
and drove to my friends’, 
John and Alex’s, apartment for 
dinner did I learn that Reid 
Beitrusten, while not a personal 
friend, is a friend of half the peo¬ 
ple I know. “You interviewed 
Reid? ” they asked. “How is he? 
We heard he was getting 
worse.” We talked about Reid 
for a while, and they told me 
that he is “real smart — a 
graduate of Yale. He reads 
books, too,” which is saying 
something, given the milieu in 
which we live. As we talked, I 
realized that this is someone peo¬ 
ple care about, someone who 
plays an important role in other 
people’s lives, someone who will 
leave a void if he dies. I had met 
his parents and one of his friends 
at the hospital, and, of course, 

I knew that to them Reid was a 
special person, but until I spoke 
with John and Alex, Reid Beit¬ 
rusten had no direct relationship 
to my own life. He was just a 
person with AIDS, someone to 
interview, someone I would feel 
interest in only as long as I wrote 
BAY AREA REPORTER 


know by sight on the street, at 
the g>m, in the grocery store, or 
at a movie. San Francisco is not 
such a large city , after all — we 
run into each other all the time. 
Sometimes these people drop 
from sight for a period of time, 
and I never know where they ’ve 
gone. It may be months before 
I even realize that they are gone. 

L sually I assume that they have 
left town for New York, Los An¬ 
geles, or “back home,” wher¬ 
ever that is. But how many of 
them are at San Francisco Gen¬ 
eral or L.C. or R.K. Davies? 
How many of them have AIDS? 
Sometimes, when I see a picture 
of someone who has died of 
AIDS in the local papers, I have 
a sense of deja vu, and then I 
say, “Oh, / know him! I used to 
see him dancing at Trocadero a 
few years ago.” How many 
whom I have seen, I wonder, are 
dancing no longer? 

I confess I have trouble using 
the present tense when writing 
of Reid and Patrick, particular¬ 
ly of Reid, for I don’t know how 
long it will apply. I write this 
two weeks after my visit with 
them on the AIDS ward. God 
only knows how long it will be 
before you read it. What will 
happen to them in the mean¬ 
time? Believe me, not for a mo¬ 
ment have I forgotten the possi¬ 
bility that they may not be 
around to read this when it ap¬ 
pears. I hope they will be. God, 

I hope they will be. 

Regardless of what happens 
to Reid and Patrick, however, 
what of the rest of us? Will we 
get AIDS? That is what we real¬ 
ly want to know, isn’t it? I have 
told you how Reid and Patrick 
are-reacting to their illness, but 
I have said nothing of those 
about me who may be future pa¬ 
tients of Ward 5B. How are we 
coping with the possibility that 
we may also be people with 
AIDS someday? And how are 
we trying to prevent it? 

Some of us ignore that possi¬ 
bility. Others are paralyzed by 
it. Some carry blithely on doing 
the things they have always * 
done. Some cut out sex alto¬ 
gether in the hopes of preventing 
contagion. Most of us cut down, 
but not out, and those of us wdio 
would like to take reasonable 
precautions without bowing to 
tContinued on next paffe) 

DECEMBER 15, 1983 PAGE 21 















PLANNING SAN FRANCISCO 


(Contin ued from page 17) 

a vital stake in the neighborhood 
as a place to live, to work, and 
to play. Becoming involved in 
the preparation of plans for the 
future of the area is key to main¬ 
taining that stake. 


I)CP staff is available to answer 
questions and to meet with com¬ 
munity groups who want to 
know more about the project. 

At this stage, the DCP is be¬ 
ginning to develop preliminary 


South of Market is des¬ 
tined to be a planner's 
dream or nightmare. 


1 n preparing plans for South 
of Market, the Department of 
City Planning encourages citi¬ 
zen involvement. “We want to 
hear from anyone who’s ener¬ 
getic enough to talk to us,” says 
Robin Jones, a senior staff 
member. “We would like to get 
those who are able to talk to¬ 
gether in the same room and 
think about the options.” The 


plans, and Gay input to that 
process is welcome. When those 
plans are developed, public 
hearings will be held to get fur¬ 
ther comments. If any are inter¬ 
ested in working on this plan for 
the South of Market’s future, 
contact Susana Montana at 
558-2683. Susana’s coordinating 
the project for DCP. ■ 

C. Forester 


r 


‘A MAN’S BAR” 


1 

1 

BOOT 

BACK 

415 STOCKTON AVE. 

SAN JOSE, CA 




sD 



THE HUB 

Attitude Adjustment Hours: M-F 4-7 
Sunday A.A. Hours: 3-7 
85c Well Drinks 

New Saturday Hours: 5 PM-2 AM 


NEW SATURDAY D.J. 
7TH ANNIVERSARY 

Friday, December 16 

XMAS EVE OPEN AT 7 PM 
XMAS DAY OPEN AT 8 PM 
Happy Holidays from Staff & Management! 

1220 Pine Street 938-4550 

Next to the 7-11 Store Walnut Creek 

Take Highway 24 to Walnut Creek (which turns 
into 680), Ygnacio Valley Road offramp - 
right for 5 stop lights, then left on Civic 


Piano Bar/Sing Along! 

WEDNESDAY - SATURDAY 9 PM - 1 AM 

Luncheon Mon. - Fri. 1 1:30 AM - 3 PM 

Dinners Wed. - Sat. 6:00 PM - 9 PM 


SUNDAY 

Brunch 1 1:30 AM-3 PM 
Piano Bar 3 PM - 7 PM 



Little bit of town. 

. . . Little bit of country." 


2022 Telegraph Ave., Oakland 444-4978 


GRNL Search Committee 
Announced 


Gay Rights National Lobby 
Co-Chairs Kate McQueen and 
Allan Spear announced the for¬ 
mation of the GRNL Search 
Committee for a new executive 
director. The committee is 
charged to find a replacement 
for Steve Endean, who after 
serving five years as GRNL 
executive director announced his 
resignation in October. 

Tom Bastow, a Washington, 
DC Attorney and new GRNL 
Board member, will serve as the 
Search Committee Chair. Rev. 
Larry Uhrig, pastor of Metro¬ 
politan Community Church of 
Washington, DC; Ms. Amy 
Isaacs, Deputy Director of 
Americans for Democratic 
Action; GRNL Board member 
and Chicago businessman 
Chuck Renslow; new GRNL 
Board member and former ex¬ 
ecutive director of “Democrats 
for the ’8()V\ Peter Fenn, and 
GRNL Board members Kate 
McQueen and Cathie Hartnett 
will serve with Bastow on the 
committee. 

“The entire staff is quite 
excited over the formation of the 
Search Committee and is look¬ 
ing forward to the renewed 
energy and expertise that a new 


executive director will bring to 
GRNL,” stated Deputy Direc¬ 
tor Jerry Weller. 

“It will be hard to replace 
Steve Endean,” stated Co-Chair 
Kate McQueen, “but we’ll do 
our best. We’re looking for 
someone not only with legisla¬ 
tive lobbying expertise, but also 
w ith the ability to fundraise and 
administrate a national office 
with two field offices. Let’s face 
it, being GRNL’s executive 
director is a difficult task.” 
McQueen added that resumes 
and cover letters are due by 
January 15, 1984 and should be 
sent to: Search Committee, 
GRNL, P.O. Box 1892, Wash¬ 
ington, DC 20013. 

Endean resigned in October 
after receiving relentless 
criticism from Southern Cali¬ 
fornia’s David Goodstein. 
Goodstein charged Endean with 
fiscal irresponsibility and claim¬ 
ed the job had outgrown En- 
dean’s amateurish talents. 
GRNL’s funds began to dry up 
and it is currently in debt. 
Portland’s Jerry Weller, En¬ 
dean s number two man, is cur¬ 
rently running day to day 
operations. ■ 


SFs Muni 


I Continued from page 14) 

Metro LRY trains, Harold Geis¬ 
senheimer said that hundreds of 
new busses are being added to 
the system. Next year there will 
be 149 rebuilt busses. There w ill 
also be 180 new diesel and 100 
articulated busses. That’s over 
430 new busses. 

The new busses, the new 


routing for the Muni Metro, the 
new computer tracking system, 
the new windows, the new seats, 
a new Metro announcement sys¬ 
tem, and the new discipline pro¬ 
cedures are all part of a commit¬ 
ment to long-term solutions to 
the Muni problems. 

Ultimate responsibility for the 
turn around of the Muni Rail¬ 
way rests with General Manager 
Harold Geissenheimer. He is 
fiercely loyal to his drivers. He 
takes care to point out the 
courtesy of the station agents. 
He pounds away at the need to 


AIDS - A Personal Exploration 


(Continued from previous page) 
extremes have a difficult road to 
travel. Patrick and Reid can’t 
believe that people still exchange 
fluids when they have sex, for in¬ 
stance, but even as they express¬ 
ed their concern, I knew that I 
was going home to have sex for 
the first time in months with a 
boyfriend I hadn’t seen since 
February — and I wasn’t going 
to follow their advice about what 
constitutes safe sex. I knew I 
should, but I had been celibate 
for months due to my skin trou¬ 
bles, and I was tired of it. Be¬ 
sides, I just couldn’t see my boy¬ 
friend as a threat to me, and I 
didn’t want to forgo such funda¬ 
mental pleasures as . . . well, 
you know what I mean. I may 
have been gambling, but it 
seemed like such a safe bet, con¬ 
sidering the number of people 
with AIDS compared to the 
total number of Gay people in 
this town — or in this country, 
for that matter. Yes, I have 
heard about the likelihood of a 
two-year incubation period, but 
I can’t help feeling that surely I 
must already have been exposed 
to the AIDS virus (if it is a virus) 
by now, and if I have, what dif¬ 
ference does it make? Yet, 
didn’t Patrick and Reid think 
just the same things before they 
got AIDS? 

I have said that I am not 
afraid to die, that I do not 
fear death as some of my 
friends do. Before visiting W ard 
5B, neither was I afraid of 
catching AIDS. Oh, a little bit 
perhaps, but basically I saw it 
as a suitably symbolic way to go 
— if I had to go, that is. For 


someone who has been so very 
Gay , w ho has let his homosexu¬ 
ality influence so much of his 
life, what better way to go than 
to die of what has often been 
called (if erroneously) a “Gay 
disease”? I envisioned my self as 
a marty r of sorts, a sacrifice, but 
to what or for whom I had no 
idea. Since visiting Reid and 
Patrick, however, I no longer 
think that way. I am no longer 
unafraid of the disease. I have 
seen the pain, and I have heard 
from them of their suffering, 
both emotional and physical. I 
don’t want to go through that. 
I don’t want to endure a bronch- 
oscophy, severe nausea, or gar- 
bagemen wearing paper masks. 
I don’t want to lie in a hospital 
bed and think about dying. 

Often, when I think of Mom 
and Dad, I think how lousy it is 
for them to have died so young. 
But think how much younger 
are the people who get AIDS. 
Perhaps that’s the worst thing 
about the disease — by attack¬ 
ing the young, it upsets all our 
notions about what is right and 
fair. We ought to be able to live 
a long and happy life. We ought 
not to have to worry about dy¬ 
ing, for God’s sake. Instead, our 
worries should concern simple 
things — whether to buy Skip or 
Jiffy, whether to join this gym 
or that one, whether to take him 
out to dinner or to cook for him 
at home. Thanks to AIDS, our 
choices are no longer so simple. 
We no longer have control over 
what we are expected to deal 
with. 

And that’s another thing — 
AIDS shows us dramatically 
how little control we do have. I 


Slaying Suspect 


(Continued from page 1) 



Slain psychiatrist Thomas Laskey 


The apparent risk-taking in 
picking up younger men walk¬ 
ing the streets of the city evident¬ 
ly did not deter Lasky. One year 
ago he took home two young 
men whom he met in an 18th 
and Castro donut shop. They 
beat him so badly that almost 
every bone in his face was 
broken. 

Police Inspectors Brosch and 
Erdelatz are hopeful that a 
B.A.R. reader will recognize 
Timothy Reeder’s photograph 
and description and be able to 
assist them in his apprehension. 
Readers with information are 
urged to contact the officers at 
(415) 553-1145 or this news¬ 
paper at(415) 861-5019. ■ 

G. Mendenhall 


rebuild confidence of patrons in 
the system. In the spirit of 
building rider confidence, he 
says he wants to hear the com¬ 
plaints of passengers. He assures 
that every letter addressed to 
him, he will read. 

The Municipal Railway 
handles more customer transac¬ 
tions per day than any other 
business in San Francisco except 
the phone company. Harold 
Geissenheimer pledges that 
“The people deserve and w ill get 
the best because it’s used.” ■ 

A. White 


like to lead an orderly life. I like 
security. I like to know that 
when the first rolls around I will 
have enough money to pay rent, 
that when I come home at night 
my apartment will not be van¬ 
dalized, and that my boyfriend 
— w hen I have one — is faithful 
to me (or at least tells me the 
truth when he is not). All of 
these things I can control some¬ 
what. None I can control entire¬ 
ly . But my health — it is another 
matter altogether. It is an enig¬ 
ma. Theoretically I have as 
much control over this matter as 
I do over any of the others, but 
it never seems to work out this 
way. Perhaps it is because the 
unknowns are greater, both in 
number and in magnitude. 

It would be nice, wouldn’t it, 
to end this on an upbeat note. I 
w ish I could do it. I wish I could 
report that Patrick and Reid are 
completely well again and are 
guaranteed to live full, rich, and 
lengthy lives. I wish I could 
refxut that Cliff, Bill, Anne, and 
Alison no longer work on Ward 
5B, for Ward 5B no longer ex¬ 
ists. I wish I could report that 
the AIDS “crisis” is over, for the 
cause and cure have been dis¬ 
covered. But I can’t. I am — we 
all are — forced to deal with 
things as they are and not as we 
would like them to be. And very 
little about AIDS is as we would 
like it to be. 

The other day I received a let¬ 
ter from my sister, Missy, on the 
second anniversary of our 
father’s death, and in it she 
summed up her feelings about 
his death, about Mom’s, and 
about all sickness and loss in one 
word. “Robbed!” she wrote. 
“Robbed, robbed, robbed!” 

I couldn’t agree more. ■ 
M. Hippier 


BAY AREA REPORTER DECEMBER 15, 1983 PAGE 22 









































BAY AREA REPORTER 


DECEMBER 15, 1983 


PAGE 23 


Greater bay newS 

•AN JOSE SANTA CLARA CUPERTINO SUNNYVALE REDWOOD CITY PALO ALTO MONTFRFY PLEASANT HILL VALLEJO BERKELEY WALNUT CREEK CAMPBELL FREMON 


East Bay Demos 

Status and Strategy 

The East Bay Lesbian/Gay 
Democratic Club organized a 
meeting at the Alameda Coun¬ 
ty Democratic Party Head¬ 
quarters in Hayward on 
November 29 to discuss the 
meaning of AB-1 to the Gay and 
Lesbian community and its cur¬ 
rent status in the State Senate. 
Emphasis at the meeting of 
South County Gays and Les¬ 
bians was on the pivotal role of 
Senator Bill Lockyer who repre¬ 
sents the southern half of 
Alameda County. 

For nearly a year, the 
EBL/GDC has been generating 
letters and telephone calls in 
support of the bill as well as 
working in coalition with sym¬ 
pathetic straight friends and 
groups in the area. President 
Armand Boulay expressed 
cautious optimism that Lockyer 
will consider the bill favorably 
at the crucial moment. Strategy 
was coordinated by Political 
Action Chair Tom Brougham 
and speakers included Cleve 
Jones, Lisa Katz and Stan Had¬ 
den. Participating were also 
Hayward Gay activist Cliff 
Cayanus, Hay ward Gay Sheriff 
Sean, attorney Gary Key, 
Carole Isaacks of MCC/Hay- 
vvard, Paul Boneberg and the 
president of the Hayward 


A recent picture of the EBL/GDC 
omitted naming Eric Hsu (above) the 
club's Recording Secretary and 
I\eusletter Editor. 

Democratic Club. 

For information about how to 
help on AB-1 in the southern 
county area, call 849-3983. 
Senator Bill Lockyer can be 
reached at 22300 Foothill Drive, 
Suite 415, Hayward 94541 or at 
582-8800. ■ 


NYC Button Contest 

The Christopher Street 
Liberation Day Committee 
(CSLDC) ha's announced its 
Button Design Contest for the 
1984 Gay & Lesbian Pride 
March and Rally. The deadline 
for submissions is January 1, 
1984. The winning designer will 
receive $100 and dinner for two 
at one of New York’s Gay 
restaurants. 

The design must meet the 
following criteria: 

1) It must be pro-Lesbian/Gay; 

2) It must be in one or two col¬ 
ors, not counting white; 3) It 
must fit a round button 214” in 
diameter; 4) It must include the 
words “Gay,” “Lesbian,” as 
well as the phrase “Christopher 
St. Liberation Day, June 24, 
1984, New York City”; 5) It 
must incorporate the theme of 
the 1984 March and Rally — 
“Lnity <£ More in ’84. . . . 
Remembering Stonewall.” 

The winning design will 
become the property of CSLDC. 
All submissions must include the 
designer’s name, address and 
telephone number. Only designs 
accompanied by a self-address¬ 
ed, stamped envelope will be 
returned. Submissions should be 
sent to: CSLDC ’84 Button 
Design Contest, 147 W. 42nd 
St., Room 603, New York, NY 
10036. ■ 


Diablo Rap 


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Diablo Valley Community 
Center is at 1818 Colfax in Con¬ 
cord. Info: 674-0171 ■ 




































Entertainment 


B.A.R. INTERVIEW 



The Music May Have Been In Her, 
But Linda Tillery Couldn’t Let It Out 

by Arthur Lazere 


A life of triple jeopardy. That’s how Linda Tillery described her fragmented existence on her first 
solo album in 1978. She was bigger than a woman who was supposed to be Black, and Lesbian. And 
although musically involved from early childhood, her career as a professional musician was similarly 
fragmented and abortive until she resolved the conflicts caused by an identity composed of fractions. 

In her own words, Tillery always was “a real big girl.” At age thirteen, entering junior high school, 
she was already five feet, seven inches tall and weighed two hundred pounds. Her size made her the 
subject of much teasing, and she was defensive and withdrawn. Frequently violent, she was goaded 
— usually by boys — into fist fights arising from taunting about her stature. “I became very particular 
about whom I would let in,” she recalled. Her first strong sense of being different arose from these 
experiences. 

Tillery was raised in the Fillmore, but was not particularly aware that she lived in a ghetto. When 
she was in junior high school, her family moved to Ingleside, a mostly middle-class white neighborhood, 
and she sharply experienced the second revelation of her differentness: “I became aware for the first 
time of conflicts between my Black culture and the predominant white middle-class culture of the city, 
differences in speech, in dress and hair styles, and in behavior.” For an adolescent girl already troubled 
with self-acceptance, this was not an easy experience. 

At the same time Tillery was becoming aware of terms like “fruit,” “faggot,” and the Black slang 
“bulldagger.” She heard whispered rumors about gym teachers. As a child of five she’d fallen in love 
with Annette Funicello, and was aware these feelings were different from other feelings of love. Now, 
Linda’s feelings towards other women, previously limited to the television screen, resurfaced as crushes 
on the other girls in the school orchestra. She now dealt with her third difference, being a Lesbian. 
A physically large, Black Lesbian. 

This triple whammy made her feel isolated. “In 1962 there was no feminist movement, no Gay rights 
movement. There was no one to tell me that it was okay to love another woman and to love myself 
as a woman.” Although already involved with both music and another woman, the lack of role models 
allowed neither affair to flourish. 


T he child of a working class 
family, her memories are of 
a comfortable, warm, and 
loving home, anchored by her 
mother who was, and remains, 
her best friend. Both of her 
parents were music lovers, 
though neither could carry a 
tune. There was a large collec¬ 
tion of records in the house 
which provided Linda with the 
beginnings of her musical educa¬ 
tion. Even before she could 
read, she learned to choose her 
favorite albums by their logos or 
the color of their labels. Dinah 
Washington and Count Basie 
were early favorites. (The senior 
Tillerys preferred blues and jazz 
to the then contemporary rock 
sounds. I Her older brother in¬ 
troduced her to rhythm and 
blues, and she listened to Clyde 
McPhatter and La Verne Baker. 
Even Kate Smith impressed her 
— Smith was loud. While 
assimilating these influences, 
Tillery said, “I discovered bath¬ 


room acoustics. I’d go into the 
bathroom, shut the door, and 
just stand there and wail and 
bellow out songs! ” 

Her first formal musical train¬ 
ing began in junior high, and 
even in music her size thwarted 
her plans. She’d wanted to play 
the violin, but the music teacher 
took one look at the tall girl with 
big hands and assigned her to 
the string bass. It was her instru¬ 
ment throughout her high school 
years. 

Her participation in the 
school orchestra did ease her 
isolation, and enabled her to 
display a determination that 
later became so characteristic. 
After a long and calculated 
courtship (modeled after the ex¬ 
ample of her cousin, a Casanova 
several years her senior), she ini¬ 
tiated an affair with classmate 
Michelle. 

The lack of Lesbian role 
models left the couple with only 

PAGE 24 


non-Gay examples to follow and 
they fell into “butch” and 
“femme” roles. Linda was the 
butch, but she found the role 
constricting. Her need to express 
vulnerability, or even to cry, 
didn’t fit the role she thought she 
was expected to play. So she re¬ 
pressed those feelings as she had 
learned before to repress her 
frustrations and resentment over 
all those ways in which she 
found herself to be different. 
The surface cool was main¬ 
tained. 

Still another source of confu¬ 
sion to teenager Tillery was the 
conflict of her Baptist upbring¬ 
ing with her sexual preference. 
She sang in the church choir and 
heard the hellfire and brimstone 
sermons. She took her role as a 
Christian seriously. How could 
she square that with being a 
“bulldagger”? 

Her affair ended when 
Michelle and her family emi¬ 


BAY AREA REPORTER DECEMBER 15. 1983 


grated to Canada. As her part¬ 
ing gesture, Michelle announced 
to Linda that she (Michelle) was 
certainly not a Lesbian and that 
Lesbians were perverted. The 
ending of this three-year affair 
left Linda confused, threatened, 
and without any support system 
whatever. She did not know 
even one Lesbian woman in 
whom to confide. Once again, 
she buried the feelings. She be¬ 
came virtually asexual. 

Throughout her formal musi¬ 
cal training in high school — still 
on the string bass — Linda had 
continued to sing. She sang in 
the church choir, in school vari¬ 
ety shows. Her instrument and 
talent were beyond doubt. 
Symptomatic of her other iden¬ 
tity problems, she could not find 
a musical direction to take. As 
a Black woman she felt the op¬ 
portunities of an opera singer 
were too limited; the classical 
European repertoire did not at¬ 
tract her, either. Within Ameri¬ 
can popular music there seemed 
to be too much that did not work 
for her. “I didn’t want to go to 
Las Vegas and wear sequined 
gowns and sing love songs about 
Harry and Charles when what 
I meant was Harriet and 
Charlesetta.” 

The statement reveals that, 
despite her withdrawn nature 
and isolated feelings, a woman 
of some self-knowledge was 
lurking within. After graduating 
high school, she went to work in 
the post office, and slowly began 
to carve a life that met her needs 
and capitalized on her strengths. 
There were to be some despair¬ 
ing lows before she reached her 
present success, though. 

Her first break came quickly. 


ety attacks. Hysterical symp¬ 
toms began. Her heart would 
race uncontrollably. She would 
twitch at the temples. Her hands 
grew numb. She suffered violent 
headaches. When she sought 
medical help she was told that 
she had no physical illness. She 
committed herself to a psychi¬ 
atric hospital, the first of three 
times she did so. Working with 
therapists Linda learned over a 
period of time that she had been 
living in denial, that she was full 
of anger, and that she had been 
sitting on her feelings for years. 
She was angry with herself for 
suppressing her Gayness. She 
had never been able to accept 
herself in all the varieties of her 
differentness. 

Slowly, one step at a time, she 
worked her way back to mental 
health. She started meeting Gay 
people, men and women. She 
entered into a new relationship 
with a woman which continued 
for two and a half years. She be¬ 
came totally upfront about be¬ 
ing a Lesbian. In 1974, at age 
26, she quit singing publicly for 
a year and spent her time getting 
involved in Oakland’s Lesbian 
community, particularly with a 
group of Third World Lesbians 
called “Gente.” She organized a 
chorus called the Gente Gospel- 
aires. 

At the same time, Tillery kept 
her recording career going, cut¬ 
ting records with Coke Escovedo 
and Lenny White. An important 
new direction in her career was 
her affiliation with Olivia 
Records, an independent re¬ 
cording company using women 
artists, engineers, and pro¬ 
ducers. She produced albums by 
BeBe K’Roche and Teresa 


"I didn't want to go to Las Vegas 
and wear sequined gowns and sing 
love songs about Harry and Charles 
when what I meant was Harriet 
and Charlesetta.” 


In 1968 she answered an adver¬ 
tisement in the San Francisco 
Chronicle and landed her first 
professional singing job as the 
vocalist for a rhythm and blues 
band called “The Loading 
Zone.” San Francisco was in the 
midst of a rock music explosion 
in the late Sixties. Singing with 
“The Loading Zone,” she 
shared the bill at the fabled 
Fillmore Auditorium with stars 
such as Arlo Guthrie, Chuck 
Berry, Iron Butterfly, and Janis 
Joplin. “The Loading Zone” 
was under contract to RCA Vic¬ 
tor and the first of her many re¬ 
cordings was as their lead vocal¬ 
ist in 1969. 

Now a public person, Tillery 
had the external indices of suc¬ 
cess. Money, fame, music, and 
partying filled her life. Under¬ 
neath, she was still confused 
about her sexuality. She con¬ 
tinued to be afraid that she 
would be rejected and ostra¬ 
cized, both socially and in her 
work, if she was upfront as a 
Lesbian. She continued to re¬ 
press her sexuality. She man¬ 
aged to work up enough courage 
to confide in her good friend 
Patrick O’Hara, the trombonist 
with “The Loading Zone.” 
Patrick warned her not to tell 
anyone else, reinforcing her 
fears. 

The pressures mounted. She 
began to suffer from severe anxi¬ 


Trull. In 1978 she produced her 
own album for Olivia simply 
called Linda Tillery. She sang: 

If I could just tell you what it’s 
really like 

To live this life of triple jeopardy 
I fight the daily battles of all my 
people. . . 

Olivia Records was important 
to her for several years. It pro¬ 
vided a working environment 
which was supportive of her as 
a woman and as a Lesbian. But 
Olivia’s music is White music, 
and Linda, as a Black woman, 
needed to express her cultural 
roots in her music — blues, 
rhythm and blues, and jazz. She 
left Olivia and has not recorded 
in several years. But she has 
been far from, idle, singing con¬ 
stantly in the Bay Area and on 
tour. She recently completed a 
successful seven-week tour to 
twenty-six cities all over the 
United States. And, while she 
still has a strong following in the 
women’s community, she finds 
that her audiences are growing 
more diverse. She was recently 
honored with a “Jammie” 
award as Best Female Vocalist, 
ultimate recognition of her talent 
by her peers. Now she is plan¬ 
ning to produce her own record, 
singing her own music. 

★ ★ ★ 

(Continued on page 39) 


























TALES OF TESSI TURA 


Godunov for Me 


GEORGE HEYMONT 

Opera writer George Heymont’s weekly coverage of the 1983 
S.F. Opera season concludes with his views of its last two pro¬ 
ductions plus an assessment of the season as a whole. 

T he man I followed out to California in 1972 was firmly con¬ 
vinced that no one should live past the age of 30. Having 
decided that by that time he would have done everything, 
imaginable in life, Chuck made it his business to commit suicide 
at 28. He was a fool. If playing for a longer run means develop¬ 
ing a different perspective on (and appreciation of) one’s life ex¬ 
periences, my hope is that those who have been living exclusively 
in the fast lane might realize that certain things are indeed worth 
waiting for. Yes, Virginia, there are experiences which should be 
slowly savored rather than being voraciously consumed on the run. 

Some Gay men are learning that there are grander pleasures 
which await us if we can descend from the frenzied treadmill of 
our twenties. One friend (who recently turned 50) confessed, 
“Much to my surprise and amazement, it keeps getting better 
every year. If 1983 goes down in history as the season Gay men 
began to hold back their quest for instant sexual gratification, 
perhaps it will also mark the beginning of a new trend toward ac¬ 
quiring patience rather than disease syndromes. Suddenly we’re 
hearing people say “I’d really rather have dinner before we do 
anything, ’’ or shyly whisper “I don’t fuck on the first date.” 


FOR WHOM THE 
BELL TOLLS 

Thus, I’m delighted to report 
that the San Francisco Opera’s 
production of Boris Godunov 
was living proof that the best 
stuff sometimes comes last. No 
ifs, ands, or buts about it. The 
final production of the 1983 
season was a superbly realized 
job from start to finish. W hether 
one focuses on the meticulously 
etched character performances 
by Donna Peterson, Robert 
Tate, Kevin Langan, and David 
Gordon or the stupendous work 
by the chorus, it was a phenom¬ 
enal evening of theatre. 


It was, as it should be, an 
ensemble evening. Using Ming 



C.zar U ars. A shaky Boris Godunov 
USicolai Ghiaurov) contemplates 
Russia s future in iMussorgsky’s epic 
opera. 


Gho Lee’s highly evocative sets 
(on loan from the Met), director 
David Kneuss staged Mussorg¬ 
sky’s mammoth opera with an 
exquisite sense of musical pag¬ 
eantry. Capturing many mo¬ 
ments of peasant humor and 
neatly juxtaposing them with the 
horrific grandeur of Czarist 
Russia, Kneuss vividly brought 
the score to life. He was aided 
immensely by Marek Janowski 
(whose conducting was distin¬ 
guished by a musical vision and 
professional cleanliness). Wies- 
law Ochman’s Grigory and 
Stefka Mineva’s Marina bore a 
fighting pride (although the 
tenor occasionally sounded a bit 
strained). In his brief moments 
as Pimen, John Tomlinson 
made a powerful debut which 
nearly overwhelmed the impact 
of Nicolai Ghiaurov’s perfor¬ 
mance in the title role. 

There is a tendency among 
music writers to fill up space 
demonstrating their historical 
research or questioning various 


musicological pieces of trivia. 
The mark of total satisfaction on 
my part is a desire to treasure the 
experience in private and say 
nothing more about it. W hen a 
job is that well done, it is best left 
well enough alone. 

INTO THE LION’S MOUTH 

If Boris Godunov impressed 
with its immensity , what better 
opera to match it up with than 
La Gioconda, which demands 
as large a cast as Godunov to 
convey its complicated story. 
Rather than attend La Rotun¬ 
da’s performances, I chose to 
check out Maria Slatinaru, who 
made her American debut in the 
title role of Ponchielli’s sprawl¬ 
ing melodrama. 

Ms. Slatinaru was, indeed, 
quite thrilling. Dramatically ap¬ 
pealing and with a powerful, 
well-focused voice which could 
cut through the largest moments 
in the score, she made a nice foil 
for tenor Franco Bonisolli, who 
gave audiences a far more dra¬ 
matically convincing Enzo than 
Luciano Pavarotti’s character¬ 
ization several years ago. 
Despite a cold, Metteo Manu- 
guerra was an effective Bar- 
naba. Some of the strongest 
singing came from Sheila 
Nadler as La Cieca. 

The singer who truly inspired 
giggles, however, was Mariana 
Paunova. The Bulgarian con¬ 
tralto’s Laura must have been 
modeled after a bored suburban 
housewife or a dead fish on ice. 
This portray al was outdistanced 
by Ms. Paunova’s glacial, man- 
nequin-like behavior during cur¬ 
tain calls. In between evil 
snickers, one longed for a cattle 
prod. 

And what of the music? An 
overblown work which is often 
performed at a rather fast clip 
(no doubt to meet the demands 
of union time), La Gioconda 
has never been known for its 
more subtle effects. Conductor 
Andrew Meltzer took the neces¬ 
sary time to let many crucial 
parts of Ponchielli’s score 
breathe that sorely needed extra 
moment in order to achieve a 
lush beauty which is so often 
sadly ignored. Although Meltzer 
dragged out some tempos to the 
point where singers were gasp¬ 
ing for breath, the overall effect 
suited Ponchielli’s opera quite 
well. This was not an interpreta¬ 
tion one will hear in opera 
houses very often, but one which 
is, nevertheless, artistically 
justifiable if the singers can sur¬ 
vive turning blue in the face. 

I must admit to being pleas¬ 
antly surprised by the conduct¬ 
ing in this production for, on the 
basis of Meltzer’s previous 
work, I had braced myself for 
the worst. It’s nice to be proven 
wrong on occasion. 


HOLD THE ONIONS, 
HOLD THE RELISH 

In assessing Terry McEwen’s 
1983 season, I think it is impor¬ 
tant for people to recognize the 
physical size of the productions 
we have seen. Regardless of 
their varying degrees of artistic 
success, the Boris, Otello, Mid¬ 
summer Marriage, Samson, 
Gioconda, and Grand Duch- 
esse productions were all ex¬ 
tremely big shows to mount. 
Each required a tremendous 
amount of work from the 
chorus, orchestra, stagehands, 
and costume people way before 
the curtain even rose. In com¬ 
parison, works like La Traviata, 
Manon Lescaut, and Katya 
Kabanova might seem easy 
enough to produce. Rest as¬ 
sured, they are not. It is a dan¬ 
gerous trap for audiences to 
assume that one can take the 
easy road when preparing these 
works, or 1983’s delicately bal- 



The Man That Got Away. Ron- 
chielli’s street singer (Maria Slatinaru) 
contemplates suicide in La Gioconda. 


anced Ariadne auf Naxos, for 
the stage. 

What San Franciscans are 
seeing, however, are some very 
important changes in the quality 
level of the basic product. Pro¬ 
ductions have a larger, more 
technically sophisticated feel to 
them. The overall level of con¬ 
ducting has risen by leaps and 
bounds from what we heard 
during Adler’s years. And let’s 
fact facts: some of the flimsier 
productions in the warehouse 
ought never to be seen again. 
The initial shock of Terry’s pen¬ 
chant for glitter and glitz has 
worn off and within the next 
year local audiences will get a 
firmer grasp on the differences 
between the McEwen and Adler 
styles of production. 

Alas, every season has its 
turkey and — although some 
will vehemently disagree with 
me — that turkey was not Sir 
Michael Tippett’s The Mid¬ 
summer Marriage. The Ameri¬ 
can premiere of this opera was 
a well-chosen 20th century piece 
which was not meant to be a 
box-office hit but rather an ar¬ 
tistic feather in the San Fran¬ 
cisco Opera’s cap. Here 
McEwen succeeded in spades 
and, after attending two perfor¬ 
mances, I heartily applaud his 
effort. I happen to have liked the 
show in its entirety (which is 
more than can be said for those 
queens who stomped out after 
the first act, huffing and puffing 
that Tippett’s piece was the 
worst thing of the season). 

San Francisco Opera w as also 
hit w ith an overwhelming num¬ 
ber of cancellations this year 
which, quite understandably, 
undermined the best laid plans 
of mice and McEwen. Sadly, 
w hat Terry banked on as a sure¬ 
fire box office hit (La Grande 
Duchesse de Gerolstein) 
backfired appallingly. One 
might suggest Big Mac would be 


better off relying on fewer of his 
aging divas in the coming years. 
Time and attrition will surely 
take care of that! 

The word around the opera 
house these days is a somber 
"We ain’t got no money.” This 
fall evidenced a shocking num¬ 
ber of empty seats and an equal¬ 
ly horrifying cessation of live 
broadcasts in the Bay Area. Al¬ 
though 1984’s summer festival 
currently seems intact, several 
sources report that, as a means 
of cutting costs, canceling the 
summer season was suggested at 
a recent board meeting. There 
will be 12 Adler fellows on the 
payroll next year and for cost- 
effective reasons audiences can 
expect to see apprentice singers 
playing a greater part in future 
productions. 

The money problem can be 
resolved in two ways. First, by 
cutting back (which McEwen 
seems to be doing with a ven¬ 
geance) and second, by reaching 
out. Recent fundraising mate¬ 
rials have had a markedly more 
inviting tone than Adler’s auto¬ 
cratic approach of “Give or I’ll 
cut your balls off.” McEwen is 
stressing his dream for San 
Francisco audiences and, de¬ 
spite my personal disagreement 
with a few of his moves, I’ll 
bank on much of his vision. 
Whether or not he can succeed 
depends in large part upon his 
health, stamina, and how avidly 
the audience buys and believes 
in his product. 

The vigor with which Terry 
McEwen goes out fundraising is 
going to be responsible for the 
future of the San Francisco 
Opera. It’s one thing to plead 
poverty but quite another to bite 
the bullet and hit the campaign 
trail. 1984 promises some very 
exciting opera throughout the 
United States. One hopes 
McEwen will be setting stan¬ 
dards, not lowering them. ■ 


152 BUSH 


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BAY AREA REPORTER DECEMBER 15, 1983 PAGE 25 





















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BAY AREA REPORTER DECEMBER IS. 1983 PAGE 26 


The Ultimate Disconnection 


by Dan Turner 


here.” 



B ill Barksdale has composed 
an intimate journey into the 
world of AIDS. With few 
words and some rather startling 
visual effects, he makes us feel 
the impact of caring for a friend 
who is dying with AIDS. He 
walks barefoot into a dark room 
and is menaced by unexpected 
lights and muffled voices. The 
clock ticks. The nurse repeats, 
“There’s going to be a little stick 


He tells us of a new appreci¬ 
ation of life, a walk into the 
night where trees and sweet per¬ 
fume are “mine just for the mo¬ 
ment.” He feels guilty for going 
to a movie instead of visiting his 
friend. “I should have brought 
the vitamin C home. I should 
have called.” He walks, then 
runs in circles. He beats up the 
Yellow Pages and then says, “I 
forgive myself.” 


Illuminating the Dark. Bill Barksdale has written and performs the in¬ 
sightful, theatrical Nightmare of the Son, confronting the spectre of an AIDS 
death. (Photo: S. Savage) 


He tells a funny story about 
Lily Pons singing La Traviata. 
Then we see him do the famous 
scene from a hospital bed using 
his hands as puppets. He sings 
both parts. “My life with you is 
coming to an end.” The person 
with AIDS is dying like Vio¬ 
letta. The friend, like her lover, 
is unwilling to believe. 

The reality of the situation in¬ 
trudes on the allegorical. Barks¬ 
dale is no longer in the bed him¬ 
self, but trying to comfort and 
hug his friend without discon¬ 
necting any of the life supporting 
tubes. There is an operation. He 
is disconnected from his friend, 
himself. He is asked to wait in 
the hall. 

After the expression of so 
much fear and feeling, all that 
is left to say is a rush of words 
describing the final moments, 
followed by the scream, “I love 
you! I always will!” 

When the performance was 
over, a member of the audience 
told the actor, “I feel like com¬ 
forting you.” 

Though the performance is a 
one-man show, both lights and 
sounds are used almost like 
characters themselves and take 
on an importance of their own. 
Kudos to Joe Dowling (lights) 
and Mark Senjamin (sound). 
The voice of the nurse is Tessa 
Loehwing. The voice of the 
bigot is Leland Moss. 

Nightmare of the Son: My 
Shadow Land would work ef¬ 
fectively in AIDS awareness and 
sensitivity training sessions. It’s 
theatricality is insightful, not 
maudlin. ■ 

Nightmare of the Son 

Studio Eremos at Project Artaud 
Through December 23; 552-3541 


Joy Have They 


good cheer. 

★ ★ ★ 


by John F. Karr 

O h, yes — we all know A 
Christmas Carol: Scrooge 
becomes a nice guy and 
gives everybody presents. It’s 
been some time since I’ve read 
it, but after seeing ACT’s 
pointed production, I realized 
my presumed familiarity with 
the story may have been decep¬ 
tive. Perhaps Dickens’ welter of 
words obscured some finer 
points for me; perhaps ACT’s 
adapters have taken liberties. I 
went to the theatre expecting 
spectacle, production values, 
and a corny story. What I saw 
was modest yet creatively con¬ 
ceived and surprisingly immedi¬ 
ate and contemporary. 

What does a nice Jewish 
homosexual like I find in such a 
Christian story? Exactly what 
adapters Dennis Powers and 
Laird Williamson saw — a story 
that transcends both religious 
and gender orientation, a story 
that transcends any specific holi¬ 
day to talk about all people on 
all days of the year. 

Familiar territory is given 
new twists in this version, por¬ 
traying Scrooge not simply as 
the villain, but showing how he 
got there. Our sympathies thus 
engendered, we experience his 
transformation as our own. It’s 
clever, and explains the con¬ 
tinued popularity of the show, 
now in its eighth year! 

“No external cold could chill 
Scrooge,” we’re told, and then 
shown why. He removed himself 
from feeling by his own choice. 
It’s an easy road to take, based 
in self-defense, and difficult to 
reverse. 

Did I remember Scrooge’s 
unhappy, lonely childhood? His 
yearning for recognition, accep¬ 
tance, from his father? 

Did I remember his misguid¬ 


ed wish for power in business 
and a personal fortune, when he 
should have wished for love and 
trust with his sweetheart? She 
advises him that he cannot buy 
his father. “If you love him, you 
can free your heart,” she says, 
summing up the whole play. 


The script is terse, witty, and 
avoids the maudlin. Perfor¬ 
mances were excellent in the 
leads and spotty among the large 
number of students in the sup¬ 
porting roles. The show has 
taken on the patina of ritual, an 
unusually slow beginning par¬ 
ticularly offsetting. Laird Wil¬ 



From Bah! to Ah. William Peterson (center) alternates with the excellent 
Sidney Walker as Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, here pained at seeing his 
younger self (D. Paul Yeuell) losing his beloved Belle (Annette Bening). 


Did I remember this sweet¬ 
heart turning him out because of 
his business pursuits, not realiz¬ 
ing that her love might have 
thawed the chill that was pos¬ 
sessing his heart? 

With his character portrayed 
so humanly, we pity rather than 
condescend to him. Scrooge re¬ 
forms not from fear of his own 
death, or from the loneliness and 
sorrow the visiting ghosts have 
shown him to be his legacy. He 
changes because he comes to 
understand the nature of life, 
and embraces with true under¬ 
standing the carol sung by the 
cast: Joy have they that make 


liamson’s direction has been re- 
staged by Eugene Barcone; I 
suspect some rhythmic snap has 
been lost over the years. 

I’m one of those people who 
doesn’t give a damn if I get the 
Christmas spirit or not. It’s true 
that Ronnetttte taught me tc 
love, but ACT’s A Christmas 
Carol gave me the reasons for 
loving and the methods to imple¬ 
ment my feeling. No small 
achievement, and one that is not 
just for Christmas, but for the 
whole year. ■ 

A Christmas Carol 

ACT 

Through December 24; 673-6440 










































STAGE 


THIS WEEK AT 


Uncoupled Christmas 


by Bernard Spunberg 

F luffy but not spineless, 
British playwright Alan 
Ayckbourrte’s Christmas 
comedy, Season’s Greetings, is 
currently enjoying its U.S. pre¬ 
miere at Berkeley Rep. A direct 
descendant of the brittle, sophis¬ 
ticated comedies of Noel Cow¬ 
ard, Season’s Greetings 
depicts the convergence of three 
couples and Uncle Harvey on 
the middle-class home of Neville 
and Belinda for holiday hijinks. 

Funny gags concerning 
Christmas cliches abound, but 
the entrance of Charles Dean as 
a nice guy novelist throws the 
women into an unexpected tizzy. 
He’s really not so special; he is 
appealing because he represents 
possible respite from humdrum 
marital routine. 

Michelle Morain portrays a 
doctor’s wife as a walking dis¬ 
aster area. Fluttering and flap¬ 
ping, Morain feverishly woos 
the novelist by asking him to tell 
her all about English literature. 
Her husband (Brian Thompson) 
is meanwhile consumed by 
preparations for his annual 
children’s puppet show. When 
everything goes wrong, Thomp¬ 
son’s childish pouting and 
hysteria shrivel up into a humili¬ 
ated lump of good intentions 
unfulfilled. 

Hope Alexander-Willis and 
David Booth are suave and chic 
as the host couple. Though 


there’s nothing terribly wrong 
with their relationship, there’s 
nothing terribly right with it, 
either. Dignified and resigned to 
her acceptance of the sort of 
relationship her husband offers, 
Alexander-Willis falls to pieces 
when she meets her novelist 
houseguest. Booth strikes the 
right note of outraged pride 
when he defends his exclusive 
right to his wife’s favors, but he 
lavishes his finest efforts on re¬ 
pairing broken toys. 

Judith Marx invited the nov¬ 
elist to the party in the first 
place. Her repressed passions 
surface in confused outpourings 
that embarrass both her and the 
novelist, but they are sympa¬ 
thetic to anyone who has experi¬ 
enced unrequited lust. Marx 
and Alexander-Willis play sis¬ 
ters competing for the same 
man, and their rivalry has an 
unspoken history that enriches 
the play. 

Irving Israel’s Uncle Harvey 
has manners too crude for an in¬ 
formal dogfight. He’s a nut case, 
so please — no sudden moves. 
Uncle Harvey is armed. 

Michael Tulin and Emily 
Heebner, young proteges of the 
host couple, make babies better 
than they make love. Tulin 
plays a charming, irresponsible, 
spoiled brat. Heebner’s mater¬ 
nal instincts bloom in the pres¬ 
ence of children, her husband in¬ 
cluded. Ironically, Tulin and 
Heebner may have the most 


TONE DEAF TONE DEAF TONE 


Illusions of Patsy 


JERRY DE GRACIA 

T he name Patsy Cline conjures up visions of tear-jerking 
country ballads, pickup trucks, and cowboys of the pre- 
Urban variety. But local musicians “Patsy Cline & The Mem¬ 
phis G Spots,” whose act tributes the great Country songstress, 
are a long way from being home on the range. 

The obvious camp of their act may seem less than flattering, 
with lead singer Arturo Galster doing his bit in look-alike drag, 
but the band’s musical ability manages to pay homage to the great 
Patsy Cline material with a humorous flair that even the real Patsy 
Cline couldn’t help but love. 



Hankering for Patsy. Patsy Cline (aka Arturo Galster) and her three Hanks 
perform as Patsy Cline & The Memphis G Spots. 


Home on the range for lead 
singer Arturo is a large fiat on 
Valencia Street. I spent some 
time there trying to find out 
more about the guy behind the 
Patsy Cline illusion. 

Being a prime example myself 
of “If you need to see me before 
the sun goes down, you’re liable 
to wake me,” I was not sur¬ 
prised by his sleepy look or the 
natty bathrobe he was lounging 
around in. Besides, having 
awoken Deborah Iyall once, 
only Divine before breakfast 


would really strike me as inter¬ 
esting. 

Arturo kept referring to the 
band’s current act as “novelty,” 
which in part it undeniably is. 
Although Arturo seemed oblivi¬ 
ous to the whys and wherefores 
of any following the band may 
have now or in the future, there 
is something beyond the camp 
surface of the band’s work. That 
elusive appeal is a combination 
of the talent, skill, proven mate¬ 
rial, and pure entertainment 
(Continued on page 29) 



If hat Shall We Do to Pass the Days? Young wife Pattie (Emily Heebner) 
maintains a state of pregnancy; Bernard (Brian Thompson) takes up pup¬ 
petry in the Berkeley Rep’s Season’s Greetings. 


durable of all the relationships. 

Inconsistent accents are dis¬ 
tracting, as are Christmas carols 
sung by Bing Crosby, the Chip¬ 
munks, and the Muppets. Are 
they meant to represent the 
Americanization of Christmas in 
England? These caveats aside, 
Douglas Johnson’s direction 
achieves slick comic timing 


while giving the darker elements 
of Season's Greetings their 
due. Humor is foremost during 
the performance, but when the 
laughter fades, the characters 
stick in the memory. ■ 

Season’s Greetings 
Berkeley Repertory Theatre 
Through January 15; 845-4700 


W7ALENCIA 
V ROSE 

THURS, DEC 15, 9PM, 14 

Francesca Dubie 
& Deena Clevenson 

FRI & SAT, DEC 16 & 17, 8PM, 15-18 

Mothertongue Reader’s 
Theater presents: 

“Did You Come or Fake It? 

FRI. 1)1 C 16, lO.-.IOI’M, $5 

Paul Krassner 
& Jane Dornacker 

SAT, DEC 17, 10PM, 14 

Gay Comedy Night 

SUN, DEC 18, 8PM, *4 

Larry Smith Band 

MON, DEC 19, 9PM, 13 

Gay Comedy Open Mike 

TUES, DEC 20, 8PM, $5 

The Vocal Minority 

766 Valencia, 863-3863 

Our Cafe is open 

Mon-Fri, 10am-2pm; 

Sat & Sun, 10am-10pm 
Dinner served 
Tues-Sat, 6-10pm 


Shop for good Gay times in 
in every issue of the 

Bay Area Reporter. 



On November 13,1974, Karen Silk 
an employee of a nuclear facility, 
left to meet with a reporter 
from the New York Times. 


She never got there. 



SILKWOOD 


ABC Motion Pictures Presents 
A MIKE NICHOLS FILM 
MERYL STREEP KURT RUSSELL CHER 

SILKWOOD 
Music By GEORGES DELERUE 
Written By NORA EPHRON & ALICE ARLEN 
Executive Producers BUZZ HIRSCH and LARRY CANO 
Produced By MIKE NICHOLS and MICHAEL HAUSMAN 
Directed By MIKE NICHOLS 

RelMMd Through TWENTIETH CENTURY fOX —?-* **"— 


N OW PLAYIN G 

I METRO THEATRE 

Union nearWebster *221-8181 | 


ALSO AT THIS PREMIERE BAY AREA SHOWCASE 


Berkeley UA CINEMA 

Hayward SOUTHLAND CINEMA 
Concord SUNVALLEY CINEMA 

Santa Clara CINEMA 150 

Larkspur FESTIVAL CINEMA 

Walnut Creek FESTIVAL CINEMA 


■ 1 1 ii 1 1"" wmmmmmmm 

Santa Rosa UA. MOVIES 

Miilbrae MILLBRAE 


Redwood City REDWOOD 6 CINEMA 
Mountain View OLD MILL 6 CINEMA 

Sacramento SACRAMENTO INN 

Citrus Heights UA. SUNRISE CINEMA 


BAY AREA REPORTER DECEMBER 15. 1983 PAGE 27 











































MUSIC 




f ITALIAN WOOL ARGYLE 
' SWEATER ^5.00 
VEST $49.00 



Close to the Heart 

Virile Performances Enliven Christmas Concert 


by Bernard Spunberg 

D ick Kramer’s Gay Men’s 
Chorale is presenting a 
small and select series of 
Christmas concerts in the cozy 
sanctuary of St. Francis’ Lu¬ 
theran Church. At the Decem¬ 
ber 6 concert, Kramer’s virile, 
manly approach was evident 
from the first in the familiar Ad¬ 
vent chant, “O Come, 0 Come, 
Immanuel.” Too often sung 
with pale, washed-out tone, 
Kramer’s Chorale created the 
impression of sturdy knights 
rather than anemic monks. 

Benjamin Britten’s Cere¬ 
mony of Carols is a combina¬ 
tion of the inspired and the man¬ 
ufactured, and Kramer’s perfor¬ 
mance was a similarly mixed 
bag. Slackening rhythms and 
coarse tone marred “Wolcom 
Yole.” “There is No Rose” 
found the Chorale working hard 
to achieve secure intonation and 
warm blend. But “As Dew in 
Aprille” was fully warmed up 
and in tune. Ethereal piano ex¬ 
panded easily to gleaming forte, 
and the Chorale reveled in rip¬ 
pling modal counterpoint. The 
Chorale rose to the contrasting 
challenges of “This Little Babe” 
and “In Freezing Winter Night” 
with performances of full- 


blooded passion and awed 
mystery. 

While blend shimmered in 
and out of focus during the first 
half of the concert, the second 
half began with a sweetly glow¬ 
ing rendition of Kramer’s own 
arrangement of a work of J. S. 
Bach, performed in English 
under the title “Break Forth, 0 
Beauteous Heav’nly Light.” 
Sung antiphonally, Kramer’s 
performance established a stan¬ 
dard that was maintained 
throughout Sweelinck’s “Hodie 
Christus natus est” and Jakob 
Handl’s “0 Magnum Myste- 
rium.” 

The Sweelinck was marked 
by carefully graded dynamics, 
steady rhythmic pulse, subtle 
shifts of color, and long- 
breathed phrases that generated 
a mood of spiritual ecstasy. The 
Handl was distinguished by 
smooth ensemble among the 
solo quartet that was mirrored 
by tone of instrumental purity 
among the Chorale. 

The Chorale performed Pou¬ 
lenc’s “Quatre petites prieres de 
Saint-Francois d’Assise” last 
spring. Encore performances 
are justified by Poulenc’s varied 
application of medieval and 
modern techniques as well as 
Kramer’s affinity for the com¬ 


BACK TO BATON 


The Right Stuff 


M ulti-millionaire philan¬ 
thropist Louise M. Davies 
has what it takes and she 
knows how to use it. Her love of 
music and municipal pride 
coupled with a seemingly inex¬ 
haustible fortune has built San 
Francisco the symphony hall 
that bears her name and now an 
endowment gift of three million 
dollars (!) has ensured that the 
hall will be getting the very best 
in guest conductors. 

Of course, there’s more to the 
endowment than simply provid¬ 
ing good music when present 
Music Director Edo de Waart is 
away from the podium. Inspite 
of Reaganomics, three million 
bucks still buys a lot and those 
alluring greenbacks will hope¬ 
fully attract big name maestros 
who might be possible replace¬ 
ments when de Waart leaves. 

Worried negativists are 
already predicting that this will 
only prolong the search and 
have a demoralizing effect on the 
musicians. It seems an unlikely 
possibility to me. 

Aside from being an astound¬ 
ing display of good will, Mme. 
Davies’ gift will be good bus¬ 
iness. For symphony patrons, 
the pleasure of seeing top flight 
conductors will be heightened by 
the knowledge that the guest 
artists will also be, in a sense, 
auditioning. 

World class “stars” who 
might have shied away from the 
musical “provinces” before will 
certainly reconsider now that the 
financial groundwork is set. The 
question of orchestra morale 
shouldn’t affect their perform¬ 
ance, faced with the prospect of 
paying under acknowledged 
masters. The symphony tends to 
show their best side to visitors. 

The search will inevitably go 
on as long as necessary, so it is 
important that the Symphony 
Association not allow this to 
become merely an opportunity 
to enhance ticket revenues. It is 
also a fact that the orchestra 
needs the discipline of working 


PHILIP CAMPBELL 

under an ongoing leadership 
with singular artistic vision. 

Finally, the guest artists, 
themselves, must not be placed 
in an uncomfortably charged at¬ 
mosphere of unrealistically high 
expectations. They face enough 
critical scrutiny without being 
made to feel that their perfor¬ 
mance is basically a high level 
job interview. 


F inding the best successor will 
be a complicated business. The 



Dame with Dollars. Benefactress 
Louise M. Davies has provided an en¬ 
dowment fund for the hiring of front¬ 
ranking conductors. 

person with the “right stuff” 
must be more than a personality 
and satisfying musician. To fur¬ 
ther the excellent building pro¬ 
gram initiated by Edo de Waart 
will require a diplomat who 
possesses the ability to mold and 
nurture musical excellence with¬ 
out scaring off the traditionally 
conservative subscribers. 

Louise Davies built the house 
and now she has assured that 
only the best will be considered 
for its custodianship. 

THANKS, WE LL BE 
IN TOUCH 

Visiting conductor Antal 


poser’s personal voice. Kramer 
and his Chorale achieved a fine 
performance that almost match¬ 
ed the lofty standard set in the 
spring, when close attention to 
the color of French vowels gave 
the music an added dimension. 

Kramer’s arrangement of 
Healey Willan’s “The Three 
Kings” was sung with blend that 
stayed balanced and warm 
through crescendi, reflecting 
sensitive musicianship. This was 
sustained throughout the tradi¬ 
tional “As It Fell Upon a Night” 
and Randall Thompson’s 
“Pueri Hebraeorum.” Several 
small pieces by Alfred Burt were 
sprinkled throughout the pro¬ 
gram. New choral literature is 
always welcome, and not every 
composer can be a Beethoven; 
still, Burt’s music has a same¬ 
ness of color and texture that 
may not bear repetition. 

With his Chorale seated 
among the audience, Kramer 
concluded the concert by con¬ 
ducting everyone in traditional 
Christmas carols. Sound a little 
corny? Maybe, but if you’re 
feeling alienated this season, you 
may find that close proximity to 
beautiful men’s voices can 
vibrate all the way to your heart. 


Gay Men’s Chorale 
Christmas Concert 

St. Francis Lutheran Church, 

152 Church Street 
Tuesday, December 20; 8 PM; $6 


Dorati was present at the lunch 
where Mrs. Davies bestowed 
her millions and so it’s con¬ 
ceivable that he’s under con¬ 
sideration for the post of 
Director. 

Maestro Dorati’s advanced 
age is a drawback despite his ob¬ 
vious vitality. The most record¬ 
ed of all modern conductors, he 
has helped to build three sym¬ 
phonic orchestras. They are 
hardly major institutions, how¬ 
ever, and his two recent per¬ 
formances did little to excite 
renewed interest in his long and 
accomplished career. I can on¬ 
ly hope that he is not a serious 
contender. Seeing him twice a 
year might prove pleasant, but 
the thought of having him in 
charge is excrutiating. 

Taking a distinctly bland ap- 
proch to programming endeared 
him to the “blue hair”set and 
posed no real challenge to either 
the musicians or himself. The 
resulting concerts were an exer¬ 
cise in pleasant tedium. 

It’s usual for visitors to opt 
for the tried and true when re¬ 
hearsal time is at a minimum, 
but honestly, the Brahms Third 
and the Beethoven as well? 

Dorati’s second appearance 
piqued more interest but it turn¬ 
ed out a disappointment any¬ 
way. His treatment of Bartok’s 
“Two Pictures” was curiously 
uninvolving considering his ac¬ 
quaintance with the composer 
and his Bartok recordings, done 
with flair and idiomatic under¬ 
standing. 

It wasn’t unforgiveable that 
Mr. Dorati seized upon the oc¬ 
casion to present us with a per¬ 
formance of his own Piano Con¬ 
certo with his wife Ilse Von 
Alpenheim at the keys; just a 
mistake. Warning us, rather 
smugly, in his own program 
notes that the piece is tonal . . . 
“I am a tonal composer by in¬ 
stinct,” seemed to say he’s a 
reactionary and pretty pleased 
about it. The Concerto itself ex¬ 
plores the boundaries of banal- 
ism and only manages to interest 
in its final pages. There is one 
unintentionally hilarious mo¬ 
ment when the chimes announce 
that Avon’s calling, but for the 
most part this is not a humorous 
endeavor. 

(Continued on page 32) 


BAY ARFA REPORTER DECEMBER 15. 1983 PAGE 28 





















































FROM FIFTH POSITION 


Joe Goode: Emotional 
Flash Cards 


S hortly after the performance 
began, I realized that an 
aspect of Joe Goode’s work 
had been mysteriously dimin¬ 
ished in my memory: the humor. 
His performance dates have 
been widely spaced and each 
new program reflects a changing 
sensibility, but in the recent 
“American Inroads” concert at 
the New Performance Gallery, 
Joe Goode emerged as a satirist 
and humorist as well as a 
dancer/choreographer. 

Goode’s 1982 Low Tech 
Duet for himself and Naomi 
Gruen seems a much longer 
work now than at its premiere. 
It is a dance composed of emo¬ 
tional flash cards in two suits, 
which are named during 
Gruen’s opening solo: “yes” and 
“no.” Throughout the piece, 
every inflection of every usage of 
those two words is dramatically 
spoken and accompanied by 
emotion-specific movement 
ideas. Goode and Gruen each 
have solos and share two duets. 
Against the sounds of a Sixties 
rock radio station, the final duet 
over and over bogs down into 
stalemate only to be revived 


KEITH WHITE 

again — a “yes” and “no” con¬ 
tinuum. 

The evening’s second piece, a 
new solo, was a minor departure 
in style for Goode; a major por¬ 
tion of the piece is danced to 
(rather than against, or without) 
music. I’m Sorry was inspired 
by the Brenda Lee song of the 
same name, and I expected high 
melodrama. Goode’s opening 
mandate, “get it right” (phrased 
and paraphrased with the vari¬ 
ety we’ve come to expect), fol¬ 
lowed by a litany of “I’m sor- 
ries” (all the things he decided 
to say he was sorry for in this 
dance) are pathetic if we con¬ 
sider only the spoken phrases. 
But the actual rendering of these 
emotions was more comedic. 
With the same degree of sincer¬ 
ity, “I’m sorry . . . you’re 
alone” was followed by “I’m 
sorry . . . we’re together.” 
Goode perversely encourages us 
to laugh at these misfortunes 
and the audience may have been 
primed for humor — perhaps 
Goode is developing a reputa¬ 
tion for being funny. Or it may 
be that the further he develops 
his solo style, the less heavy it 



Infinite Possibilities. Naomi Gruen (r.) can soar on the ideas of Joe 
Goode (U. 


becomes. At any rate, the pathos 
I expected was not to be found. 

Depth of emotion came 
through in Elements of a 
Monologue, created by Goode 
and four formidable guest art¬ 
ists: Naomi Gruen, Livia Blank- 
man, Pam Quinn, and Melissa 
Rolnick. The nonsensical open¬ 
ing monologue seemed to invoke 

— in a daffy and disjointed way 

— the jaded memoirs of an ag¬ 
ing eccentric. It was quite 
funny, performed on a stool in 
the middle of the audience’s 
center aisle and lit with a flash¬ 
light held by, an audience mem¬ 
ber. Gruen and Rolnick then 
took the stage for a duet based 
on the same monologue “ele¬ 
ments” — words and phrases — 
rearranged to tell a different 
story, this one with decidedly 
feminist overtones. Gruen af¬ 
fected a broad palette of power¬ 
ful, angry emotions, foiled by 
the softer, extremely fluid Rol¬ 
nick. The entrances of Pam 
Quinn and Livia Blankman 
brought two more viewpoints on 
the same monologue elements — 
bits and pieces of words and 
movements. Five moving mono¬ 
logues created a dense stage pic¬ 
ture, and at one point my com¬ 
panion whispered, “There’s too 
much going on.” Yet marvelous 
moments shone through the din. 
Pam Quinn’s wounded solo had 
to compete for attention with the 
duet of Goode and Blankman, 
which overlapped a portion of it. 
Livia Blankman has a quality of 
mutability that makes her look 
“right” all the time. She took 
obvious pleasure in the occa¬ 
sional vocal demands made of 
her by this work; she dances 
alone or in ensemble with ex¬ 
quisite articulation and is so tiny 
that Goode could throw her 
around like a new toy in the un¬ 
characteristic partnering he con¬ 
ceived for the end of the piece. 

Joe Goode’s work changes so 
drastically from program to pro¬ 
gram that predictions are im¬ 
possible and surprises are the 
rule. His own “interior mono¬ 
logues” are scripts from the soul, 
penned by a master storyteller. 
Including the points of view of 
partners and guests, the possi¬ 
bilities multiply to infinity. ■ 


TONE DEAF 

I Continued from page 27) 

that stems more from the enjoy¬ 
ment deriving from the overall 
illusion than from a predomi¬ 
nance of any single aspect of the 
band’s composition. 

While he seemed assured that 
on the local scene it was inevita¬ 
ble that people would tire of the 
act, he seemed less sure of what 
might happen personally if the 
band decided to call it quits in 
the future. Arturo and the three 
musicians who back him — 
whom he calls “Hank, Hank, 
and Hank” — recently returned 
from New York, where they 
played at Danceteria and The 
Pyramid Club. 

Thinking of the end at this 
stage of the game seems a bit 
premature; in their year of 
working together they haven’t 
yet suffered from overexposure. 
But Arturo seemed intrigued 
with the possibility of develop¬ 
ing a local following as “Patsy 
Cline & The Memphis G Spots” 
and then fading away. I asked 


if he fantasized about dying pre¬ 
maturely in a plane crash, the 
real Patsy’s unfortunate end, 
and he answered “No” in an 
unamused tone. 

His answer is indicative of a 
musician who can separate the 
act from the person, the fantasy 
from reality, without difficulty. 
The act is obviously not a fan¬ 
tasy surpassing healthy boun¬ 
daries to points of schizophrenia 
or beyond . . . it is simply cross¬ 
dressing as performance art. 

At 24, it is not surprising that 
Arturo’s future plans are non¬ 
existent or at least haven’t solidi¬ 
fied into driving ambition. His 
daily objectives seem rather 
malleable. The creation of the 
act excites him, which he made 
clear by remaining rather blase 
until he started showing me the 
patterns for his Christmas show 
outfit. They were spread out on 
his bedroom floor, and as he 
showed me the various pieces he 
became more interested in dis¬ 
cussing the act and ingredients 
involved in creating it. 

Creating alone seems to be higf 


Besides Arturo, the band con¬ 
sists of guitarists Mark Harrison 
and Howie Crawford and drum¬ 
mer Howard Bernstein. Ar¬ 
turo’s reference to them — “I 
just call them Hank” — was 
verified by a necessary phone 
call to find out a couple of last 
names. 

Arturo grew up in Philadel¬ 
phia, where his family still lives, 
and when “Patsy Cline & The 
Memphis G Spots” played New 
York, his sister came to see the 
show — and loved it. But cap¬ 
turing Patsy Cline as well as Ar¬ 
turo does makes it hard for any¬ 
one to resist the music and the 
band’s stage appeal. 

“Patsy’s” Christmas outfit, 
by the way, is a red satin num¬ 
ber trimmed in white rabbit fur 
with matching muff. ■ 

J. De Gracia 

“Patsy Cline & The Memphis G 
Spots ”perform their Christmas show 
on Friday and Saturday, Decem¬ 
ber 16-17, at the 181 Club, 181 Eddy 
Street, at 11 PM; $5. 


The Bay Area Reporter welcomes cartoonist Leslie Ewing to its pages 
as a regular contributor with her strip Big “D” and Little Ike. Ewing’s 
work will soon be featured in Wimmin’s Comix. 



HMCW’S 

Bar& Dining Room 

An Art Deco Experience 


□ 


Dinner Now Being Served from 6 PM 
Dining Room Closed on Monday 


878 Valencia St. 


550-9012 



1716 Clay at Polk 
775-7577 

2416 Clement at 25th 
751-7577 

1414 Castro at 25th 
550-7577 


A T J 

i »i -r *1 

1 | 

! r J "V • J 



Photo by Jim Wigler 


Christmas Day & 
New Year’s Eve 



398 Jfayeo, 

efan ehantitec 


BAY AREA REPORTER DECEMBER 15, 1983 PAGE 29 
































































FILM CLIPS 


EVERYTHING'S NEW AT 

NEW YEAR’S EVE GALA 

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REVIEWS BY MICHAEL LASKY AND STEVE WARREN 


Lady Sings the Jews 

A new Barbra Streisand movie is greeted in the Gay community 
as an entertainment event equaled only by Bette Midler’s 
monthly book/concert tour and Liza Minnelli’s occasional 
sneeze. Does Yentl live up to its advance hype? Creation couldn’t 
live up to Yentl’s advance hype, but Yentl comes closer than I 
thought it would. 

Yentl is about two subjects close to Gay hearts, though not in 
the way we think of them: cross-dressing and coming out. 


In eastern Europe in 1904 it 
was unthinkable for a Jewish 
girl to be educated — “A woman 
who studies Talmud is a 
demon” — except in domestic 
skills. Yentl (Streisand) was dif¬ 
ferent. She was born asking 
“Why? ” and grew up extracting 
knowledge from her scholarly 
father (Nehemiah Persoff). 

When Papa dies, Yentl, rath¬ 
er than board with a neighbor 
and listen to the local yentas 
nagging her to marry, cuts her 
hair and dresses as a boy to get 
into school. She’s taken under 
the wing of handsome fellow stu¬ 
dent Avigdor (Mandy Patinkin) 
and winds up marrying his 
fiancee Hadass (Amy Irving). 
Their wedding night may be the 
most suspenseful scene in any 
movie this year. 


Yentl’s masquerade and the 
sexual confusion it creates — 
“Who knows what’s natural?” 
she asks at one point in a per¬ 
fectly innocent context — are as 
funny as the corresponding 
events of Victor/Victoria and 
several Shakespearean plays; 
but they also raise serious issues 
about male and female roles and 
the oppression that results when 
they are rigidly defined. 

When at last Yentl “comes 
out” as a woman she’s realized 
the importance of being herself 
“No Matter What Happens” 
(the song could become a Gay 
anthem), because by believing in 
herself she can do anything. 

As director, star, co-writer 
and -producer Streisand has 
proved she can do anything. 
Director of photography David 



From Babs to Boy. La Streisand 
gives a sly smile because her role as a 
boy is a smash hit. 


Watkin has given the film a 
beautiful earth-toned look, al¬ 
though the most prominent 
visual is Streisand’s face. With 
short hair and no obvious make¬ 
up she’s not a great advertise¬ 
ment for either gender. 

Mandy Patinkin’s vocal tal¬ 
ent goes untapped — the leading 
lady sings all nine sound-alike 
songs — but his body is dis¬ 
played to advantage in a nude 
swimming scene and he gets to 
give his most sustained screen 
performance yet. Amy Irving 
functions primarily as Yang to 
Barbra’s Yin. 

The songs are well integrated 
and Streisand’s in fine voice, but 
the music is generally accom¬ 
panied by montages which slow 
an already leisurely pace. 

If you’re not fanatical about 
Streisand you’ll get more than 
enough of her in Yentl, but the 
movie also provides more mean¬ 
ingful entertainment than we 
had any right to hope for. ■ 
(Coronet) 5. Warren 



IJon’t Cry for Me, Barbra Streisand. Mandy Patinkin is quite the romancer . 
in Yentl, though he’s upset about falling in love with a boy. At least the "boy” 
is no goy. 


Silkwood 

Nuclear Powerhouse 

The weapons side of the nuclear 
issue has been getting all the publicity 
lately. Silkwood reminds us that 
thousands are dying at this moment 
from working on the “peaceful” uses 
of nuclear power. 

As played by Meryl Streep, Karen 
Gay Silkwood is a nuclear “Norma 
Rae,” a simple country girl on a pluto¬ 
nium production line.. She’s a lovable 
smart ass with a big mouth and a bad 
attitude. The deeper she goes into ex¬ 
posing dangers at the plant through her 
union to the Atomic Energy Commis¬ 
sion and the press, the more she 
alienates not only her employers but 
also her co-workers who would rather 
have a dangerous job than none at all. 

Silkwood’s private life is shown in 
sometimes tedious but always neces¬ 
sary detail in the screenplay by Nora 
Ephron and Alice Arlen. Divorced 
from a common law husband who kept 
their children, she lives with two other 
plant workers — Drew (Kurt Russell), 
her lover; and Dolly (Cher), who turns 
out to be a Lesbian. Dolly tells Karen 
she loves her in an emphatically non¬ 
casual way, but Karen and Drew are 
still surprised when she brings home 
a woman (Diana Scarwid) who pro¬ 
ceeds to move in. 

It would be a sacrilege to suggest 
that Cher outacts Streep, but she cer¬ 
tainly holds her own in a much smaller 
role. To think that no one took her 
seriously a couple of years ago when 
she was in her rock-and-roller-derby- 
diva phase! 

Mike Nichols’ direction does no¬ 
thing to call attention to itself, just con¬ 
centrates on letting the story develop 
— which it does powerfully. Georges 
Delerue was an odd but canny choice 
to write the score. He makes heavy use 



Swinging Both Ways. Abandoned by lovers of different sexes, Meryl Streep 
(l.) and Cher comfort each other on the front porch of the house they share, 
in a tender moment from Silkwood. 


of a banjo, alone arid with orchestra. 

Silkwood ends as vaguely as the 
historical record, but leaves little doubt 
in our minds as to what happened. 
This dramatization should reach many 


more people than the documentary 
Dark Circle, which treated the same 
issues as a direct call to action. ■ 

(Metro) S. Warren 


KGO Weekend Radio 

Sexual no-no’s from the Pope, 
sexual energy from a gaggle of 
Gay male nuns, sexual humor 
on film, and sexual roles chang¬ 
ing in the theatre are the sexually 
charged topics on this weekend’s 
David Lamble Talk Show on 
Sex-Talk Radio, KGO-FM 
(FM 104). 

From 7:05 to 8 PM Sunday 


Gay Catholic Kevin Gordon 
reviews the Vatican’s latest ver¬ 
sion of church sexual teaching, 
including the bans on Gay sex 
and masturbation for avowed 
Catholics. Saturday from 7:05 to 
8 PM Sisters Missionary Posi¬ 
tion; Sadie, Sadie, the Rabbi 
Lady; and the Mother Inferior 
from Australia come on to dish 
the Pope and complain about 
Gay bars that bar m^nJo nun’s 
drag. d. Listener call-ins are in¬ 
vited at 928-0104. ■ 


BAY AREA REPORTER DECEMBER 15, 1983 PAGE 30 




























FILM CLIPS 


REVIEWS BY MICHAEL LASKY AND STEVE WARREN 


Scarface 

Muni Retro 

Crime pays — big; but don’t wait 
too long to spend it. 

That’s one message of Scarface 
Brian De Palma’s bloodbath which 
assures that Santa’s suit won’t be the 
only touch of red in this holiday season. 

Two other messages are voiced by 
cocaine kingpin Frank Lopez (Robert 
Loggia), who sponsors Tony Montana 
(A1 Pacino) and brings him to Miami 
from one of the camps the 1980 Cuban 
refugees were sent to: “Lesson number 
one: Don’t underestimate the other 
guy’s greed . . . Lesson number two: 
Don’t get high on your own supply.” 

Montana sees Miami as being “like 
a great big pussy just waiting to get 
fucked.” Before you can say “What 
transition?” he’s gone from washing 
dishes at a taco stand to selling coke 
on a scale that makes Lopez’ operation 
look penny-ante. Lopez made the mis¬ 
take of underestimating Montana’s 
greed. 

When Tony takes the crown he 
takes the queen with it — Lopez’ mis¬ 
tress Elvira (Michelle Pfeiffer). Why 
either man would want her is a mys¬ 
tery. At least a dozen extras are as 
beautiful, and any one of them would 
have to have a better personality. 
Elvira’s a pill and a junkie who never 
has a smile or a kind word for either 
man. 

The excitement in the female de¬ 
partment comes from Tony’s sister 
Gina (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio). 
He feels it too: his obsession with pro¬ 
tecting her “virtue” suggests an inces¬ 
tuous desire. 

The seeds of Tony Montana’s 
destruction are sown liberally. His 
carelessness increases with his power. 
His heavy drinking and doping in 
public, his feelings for his sister, and 
her obvious attraction for his best 
friend and chief stooge Manny Rivera 
(Steven Bauer), are more than enough 
to do him in. But most dangerously of 
all, Montana falls for two myths of the 
super-rich — that they can buy any¬ 
thing and that they are indestructible. 

Probably reflecting accurately the 
attitudes of its milieu, Scarface is one 
of the most sexist movies ever made, 
oozing machismo from every frame. 


To Be or Not 
To Be 

Questionable Comedy 

Remake an all-but-perfect Ernst 
Lubitsch comedy? Successfully? But 
Mel Brooks saw it as just the thing in 
which to team up with his real-life wife 
Anne Bancroft and get in a few more 
licks at his Nazi preoccupation. 

To his credit Brooks neither wrote 
nor directed the script. Its 80’s sen¬ 
sibility was supplied by Alan Johnson, 
the man who created the famous 
“Springtime for Hitler" sequence from 
Brooks’ first film. The Producers. 

However, portraying Nazis as in¬ 
competent buffoons is no funnier here 
than in previous outings. Lubitsch’s 
1942 film concerned a renowned Polish 
acting company led by Jack Benny and 
Carole Lombard. They impersonate 
Nazis to aid the Polish underground 
to assist Jews to escape to England. 
Because the war was still on, the Nazis 
were portray ed as menacing enemies, 
which added suspense with comedic 
overtones. 


Women get the bulk of the abuse, and 
feminists should find the bloodletting 
scenes cathartic (men suffering termi¬ 
nal menstruation). Telling the story of 
a man who rose from the gutter so fast 
that he brought it with him, the script 
is filled with bilingual vulgarity. The 
most frequently used words are “fuck” 
and “cono,” an all-purpose Spanish 
expletive which literally means “cunt.” 

Gays get off relatively lightly, unless 
you want to attach too much impor¬ 
tance to lines like “Don’t fuck me, 
Tony. Don’t ever fuck me” (spoken by 
a man in a business context), and “The 


guys who fly straight.” Immigration 
quizzes Tony on his arrival: “What 
about homosexuality? You like men? 
You like to dress up like a woman?” 
and he responds, “What the fuck is 
wrong with this guy? No — fuck no! ” 

Pacino’s performance is one of his 
better ones, but very intense; it would 
be easier to take if his character would 
lighten up once in awhile. His accent 
is extraordinary and flawless, espe¬ 
cially compared to William Hurt in 
Gorky Park and Richard Gere in 
Beyond the Limit. 

The violence which almost earned 
Scarface an X rating is indeed 
graphic, but the most effective scene 
in that respect — a stomach chumer 
I think of as “The Miami Chainsaw 


Massacre” — works entirely by 
suggestion. 

Though almost as long (2 hours 50 
minutes), Scarface doesn’t have the 
depth or complexity of either God¬ 
father film. It is, however, a hard¬ 
hitting update of the old-style gangster 
movie. Oliver Stone’s screenplay re¬ 
tains all the basic elements of Ben 
Hecht’s 1932 version while changing 
the time and place, the criminal enter¬ 
prise (drug traffic instead of bootleg¬ 
ging) and ethnicity (Paul Muni played 
an Italian, lo'osely based on A1 
Capone). 


"small group of ruthless criminals” 
portrayed “do not represent the 
Cuban/American community . . . 
(t)he vast majority of (whom) have 
demonstrated a dedication, vitality, 
and enterprise that has enriched the 
American scene.” In other words, 
they’re still working as dishwashers. 

More telling is the introduction 
which states that one-fifth of the 
125,000 Marielitos released to the U.S. 
by Castro in May 1980 came from 
Cuban prisons. What it doesn’t say is 
that possibly as high a percentage were 
Gay (many of them had been jailed for 
that reason). Their story remains to be 
told. ■ 

(Regency I) S. Warren 



Piano Prancing. Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft sing “Sweet Georgia 
Brown “in Polish while scampering on a giant piano in the debasing remake 
of Lubitsch’s To Be or Not To Be. Not to have been might have been the 
answer. 


guys who last in this business are the A closing disclaimer avers that the 



Deluxe Demise. Chasing the American dream — success and money — 
finds Al Pacino questioning his values in the surprisingly moralistic Scar¬ 
face. 


Brooks’ overbearing New York 
"ladies and germs” approach plays the 
w hole war as a farce — a bit broad for 
contemporary portrayal of war. 

But all is not lost. Anne Bancroft 
just about saves the film with a con¬ 
trolled flair for high vamping camp. 


One might Stands 

Films of Gay Interest This Coming Week 

by Michael Benzry 

Friday-Saturday, December 16-17: 
(Roxie) John Waters’ and Divine’s best 
and grossest. The shit-eating ground- 
breaker Pink Flamingos is in the col¬ 
lection of the N.Y. Museum of 
Modem Art. Female Trouble is the 
story of Dawn Davenport, a typical 
American teenager headed for trouble 
and infamy in pursuit of the American 
Dream. 

Tuesday , December 20: (Strand) The 
Hunger and Daughters of Darkness. 


There are a few enjoyable musical 
numbers (a Polish "Sweet Georgia 
Brown”) and the first Hollywood nota¬ 
tion of homosexuals forced to wear 
pink triangles. 

To Be or Not To Be is not an 


Two excellent, violent, and sexual 
films about immortal Lesbian 
vampires. 

Tuesday-Wednesday, December 
20-21: (Cedar) Myths retold in Beauty 
and the Beast and Orpheus. Poet 
Jean Cocteau’s best films, filled with 
breathtaking enigmatic illusions. Both 
films star his lover Jean Marais. Ten¬ 
sion marked the Orpheus set, as 
Cocteau and Marais broke up and 
Cocteau turned to a younger man 

Wednesday, December 21: (Strand) 
Fellini’s most visual films. Satyricon 
is the exploration of ancient Rome by 
a bisexual young man. Casanova is a 
surreal impression of the empty life 
behind the heterosexual legend. 


unlikable film. It’s just not a par¬ 
ticularly good one. It’s too self- 
conscious in its attempts at cheap 
laughs to be anything memorable. 

■ 

M. Lasky 


Two Tone Sip-In 

The writers who contributed 
articles, fiction and letters to the 
recently published Black Men 
White Men Anthology will be at 
the Walt Whitman Bookshop on 
Sunday, December 18 from 2 to 
4 PM to meet readers and sign 
books. ■ 


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1984 

POINTINGS HND DRPRJUINGS 13V 

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9 TO 23 D€C€MB€R 1983 

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BAY AREA REPORTER DECEMBER 15, 1983 PAGE 31 






























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Inside S & M 

<e 

The Leatherman's Handbook II 

by Larry Townsend 

Modernismo Publications; $4.95, paper 

by Max Exander 

L ong ago I used to sing the praises of S$M for all the wrong 
reasons. I believed that it was the only way that “real men” 
would have sex: manly, hard, rough, and tough. I once wrote, 
in Honcho magazine, a harsh description of such “mansex” as 
though any other form of sexual expression was a sham, completely 
un-masculine. 

I no longer hold to such beliefs. I have even flirted with the 
notion that SAM sex is unhealthy, an unfortunate acting-out of 
one s power trip or feelings of inferiority. But this is an unfair 
generality. Had I paid closer attention to the writings of Larry 
Townsend, I might have come round to my latest and most bal¬ 
anced opinion much, much sooner — and much easier, I might 
add. 

Sado-masochism is not so versely, as sick and unhealthy, 
simple as to be reduced to “the It is very complicated, and, most 
only real male sex trip” or, con- importantly, it is as varied as its 



Rewriting Literary History 

Literary Visions of Homosexuality 

Edited by Stuart Kellogg 

The Haworth Press, Inc.; hardcover, $18.95 


by Paul-Francis Hartmann 

F or the past decade discover¬ 
ing a Gay history has been 
as much of the movement as 
architecting a Gay present and 
future. 

The work of the academics is 
the less glamorous of the three- 
pronged movement, but vital all 
the same. While we all know that 
homosexuality wasn’t invented 
at the Stonewall bar in 1969, we 
tend to overlook what went be- 
ore. Gay historians are busy all 
over the nation collecting infor¬ 
mation never before saved. Bi¬ 
ographies are being rewritten — 
facing up to what more squeam¬ 
ish talents chose to ignore or 
miss. Debunking has been much 
a part of a 20th century sensibil¬ 
ity, and all over the place Gay 
researchers and scholars are out¬ 
doing themselves in the game of 
revisionism. 

Out at San Francisco State 
University, the Center for Re 
search and Education in Sexu¬ 
ality under the impetus of John 
DeCecco, has been busy in this 
department. Last week they put 


★ ★ ★ ★ 

BATON 

(Continued from page 28) 

Closing with a reputable, if 
unfocused, Dvorak Symphony 
No. 8 sent me out of the hall 


out Number 6 of the Book Se¬ 
ries, Research on Homosexu¬ 
ality. 

Number Six is not everyone’s 
cup of tea: Literary Visions of 
Homosexuality (an anthology of 
scholarly articles on a random 
selection of topics). The new col¬ 
lection — as the nature of the 
genre demands — is heavy¬ 
weight stuff. Heavyweight, how- 


AGay sensibility 
exists in literature 
as truly as it does in 
interior decoration. 


ever does not necessarily mean 
heavy (although a selection or 
two is that as well). It means that 
the focus is narrow, other schol¬ 
ars must be treated (their opin¬ 
ions accepted or rejected), the 
studies call for footnote fever 
(again as both typical, necessary 
and a way of not being labeled 
out of hand “fluffery”). And 

looking forward to the visit by 
the Los Angeles Philharmonic 
the following night and wonder¬ 
ing whether their interim con¬ 
ductor, the young and promis¬ 
ing Andrew Davis, might be in 
the running for Music Director 
here. 


practitioners. One man’s pen¬ 
chant for bondage might well be 
a sad projection of his need for 
punishment or powerlessness; 
for someone else, the same taste 
might indicate a desire to 
heighten pleasure by focusing 
sensation to certain areas — 
thus, restricted movement, sen¬ 
sory deprivation of certain 
kinds, and so on, all contribute 
to a joyous and very intense sex¬ 
ual trip. 

It is very wrong to condemn 
S<&M on the basis of a general 
overview, for it means so many 
things, so many different things. 
The Leatherman’s Handbook II 
affirms the complexity of its sub¬ 
ject. This second handbook of 
Gay S$M is enormously ambi¬ 
tious, covering everything from 
a short history of S<&M to very 
specific instructions on such 
esoteric pleasures as the use of 
electricity for sensual stimula¬ 
tion, or the utility of straitjackets 
for bondage. Spliced within the 
text of how-to discussions are ex¬ 
cerpts from Larry Townsend’s 
fiction writings. So to read the 
book is not only to gain informa¬ 
tion and guidance, it is a turn¬ 
on. I’ve made use of the hand¬ 
book for masturbatory rites on 
several occasions, and it has 
never failed me (or I it, as the 
case may be). 

The book includes an errata 
notice, which apologizes for the 
incredible amount of typos and 
grammatical errors throughout 
the book. Well, all right, I say, 
thanks for the notice. But I was 
shocked and disappointed to see 
that such little care was taken 
with the proofing of the work. 
Such errors render the book 
cheap in appearance, as if no 
one cared very much. 

For the most part, it is an in¬ 
teresting and helpful little 
guidebook. Devotees of S<&M 
might easily pick up some new 
ideas and sensible guidelines 
here, and anyone who remains 
in the closet about their inclina¬ 
tions in this direction will find 
the book to be open, honest, and 
liberating. ■ 


finally the prose style is the last 
thing any of the authors seem to 
be concerned about. The irony 
here is that the one recognizable 
name, much published author 
Edmund White {States of 
Desire, Nocturnes, and The 
King of Naples ) contributes a 
piece which is the least satis¬ 
fying. 

What we do have are compe¬ 
tent illuminations such as on the 
work of E.M. Forster (specifi¬ 
cally his homosexual novel 
Maurice ). Another article looks 
at a nineteenth century mystery 
poem Don Leon — written as if 
it were by Lord Byron appearing 
around 1833 which dealt with 
homosexual law reform and the 
sex scandals of the day. (In 
England of the time convicted 
“sodomists” were hung — some 
200 between the years 1835 and 
1855.) 

Roger Austen unearths the 
homo-eroticism in the South 
Seas travel tales of Charles War¬ 
ren Stoddard — “Boy Poet of 
San Francisco” and friend of 
Bret Harte, Ambrose Bierce and 
Joaquin Miller. 

At $18.95 hardbound — Lit¬ 
erary Visions is no bargain, nor 
a cocktail table must-be-seen 
volume. Still for those so gaited 
(scholars and literary history 
buffs) it needs no additional 
apologetics nor sales pitch. ■ 


If he is, then Louise Davies’ 
money might have been better 
spent on some much needed art 
work for the walls of her hall. 
My hunch is, however, that 
we’ve got a lot more “audition¬ 
ing” to do. ■ 


BAY AREA REPORTER DECEMBER 15. 1983 PAGE 32 


P. Campbell 














































These fashionable ladies may not have worn headdresses to the Headdress 
Ball, but they featured hair. 




Fashions for the 80’s — dressing for the Headdress Ball included everything 
from leather to morning suits. 


Jose, in a fabulous Folies Bergere style costume, won the $300 Second Place 
at the Headdress Ball. 



That 's an authenticated Dianne Feinstein bow being auctioned by Tom 
Horn (in suit) and Sutter’s Mill owners at the bar’s Christmas for Seniors 
party. But don ’t worry — Dianne’s got another. 



BAY AREA REPORTER DECEMBER 15, 1983 PAGE 33 




















Members of the San Francisco Hiking Club had a Christmas party at the 
Collingwood Recreation Center last week. It looks like they ate on the walk 
— didn’t anyone bring chairs? The Club organizes hikes on a weekly basis. 
If you 're interested, check the Sports Clubs listings for activities or write 
584 Castro, #344, SF 94114. 


<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< 

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< 

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< 

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< 

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< 


SPORTS 


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 


© CITY ATHLETIC CLUB. 1983. PHOTO: DAVYD APPLE. DESIGN: SFDG. 

BAY AREA REPORTER DECEMBER 15, 1983 PAGE 34 


match, leaving each of us with 
a loss, and had begun to show 
real momentum, but fortunate¬ 
ly I was able to survive — and 
my threadbare, dog-eared pre¬ 
diction had finally come true: 
“If I play enough of these 
things, I’ll win one!” Con¬ 
gratulations to Randy ($90), 
Owen Bubar of DeLuxe Pow- 
ergliders (3rd place - $65), and 
the Arena Nu-Cumers’ Darryl 
Lund (4th - $50). ■ 


On December 11 at 3 PM, the 
first Gay Inter-Bowling League 
Meeting ever held in San Fran¬ 
cisco was convened on the 2nd 
floor at Park Bowl. The Sunday 
Reno League; Monday, Tues¬ 
day, Wednesday, and Thursday 
Community Leagues (all of 
Japantown Bowl); in addition to 
the Monday, Wednesday, and 
Thursday Tavern Guild 
Leagues of Park Bowl, had 
representatives present. 

The first topic brought up for 
consideration was inter-league 
competion. Input was given 
concerning such questions as: 
First, what shall be the team 
composition, i.e., already estab¬ 
lished teams or teams created of 
the best bowlers that a league 
has to offer; second, what shall 
be the league membership qual¬ 
ifications, — how long must a 
bowler have been a member of 
a league in order to represent 
that league in the tournament; 
third, how many bowlers will 
compose a team; fourth, how 
many teams shall be permitted 
to participate from each league; 
and last, will it be a scratch or 
handicap competion? 

There were many other ques¬ 
tions raised concerning inter- 
league competition. Considering 
the informal tone of this first 
meeting, however, no attempt 
was made to reach any firm res¬ 
olutions. Instead, each represen¬ 
tative present was encouraged to 
formulate questions regarding 
the positive and negative aspects 
of his league’s participation in 
an inter-league competition and 
to share the feed back with his 
league members. 

The second point of con¬ 
sideration at this meeting was 


the formation of a Gay Bowling 
Association. Again, the dele¬ 
gates were asked to return to 
their leagues and get a feel for 
the following questions: First, 
how many individuals from each 
league will make-up the Associa¬ 
tion Committee; second, what 
will be the Association’s primary 
responsibilities; and third, shall 
the Committee voting be based 
on one vote for each Association 
member or one vote for each 
league? Plus many more ques¬ 
tions which the representatives 
will also share with their league 
members. 

Another purpose of this 
meeting, and possibly the most 
important of all, was to establish 
ongoing communications bet¬ 
ween the various Gay bowling 
leagues in the City. Judging 
from the interest and enthu¬ 
siasm demonstrated by the dele¬ 
gates, this objective was indeed 
a popular goal. 

Some positive results of this 
First Gay Inter-League Con¬ 
ference are that a Gay Bowling 
Association and a Gay Inter- 
League Competition have both 
become distinct possibilities, 
while inter-league communica¬ 
tion has now become an estab¬ 
lished fact. 

The representatives who were 
present at the above cited meet¬ 
ing certainly deserve a lot of 
credit for taking the time out of 
their personal lives in order to so 
eloquently speak on behalf of 
their league’s interests. 

The next meeting, at which 
the groundwork willl be laid for 
achieving the above two chal¬ 
lenging objectives, will be on 
January 22, same place same 
time. ■ 


Sports Clubs 


S.F. Hiking Club. Sunday, 
December 18: Day hike on Camp 
Sawyer Historic Trail from San An¬ 
dreas Lake to Crystal Springs in the 
San Francisco watershed. An optional 
dinner will follow at Yolanda’s 
(Italian) in Burlingame. Meet for car¬ 
pooling at McDonalds, Haight & Stan- 


yan, 9:45 AM. 

Different Spokes Bicycle Club. 
Sunday, December 18: Mt. Tam, 
moderate pace with occasional stops, 
moderate bills, but easy up: 25 miles, 
bring lunch. Meets at Tassajara 
Bakery coffee shop, 10 AM sharp. 
Contact Michael John, 861-7473. ■ 


the pocket, a good start on an¬ 
other table run. 


Surprise #\: Peter missed the 
shot. Colin stepped to the neatly 
spread out table and routinely 
ran all seven solids. His eight 
ball position was what one can 
usually expect with opponent’s 
balls strewn all over — he sized 
up the shot for several minutes 
and elected to attempt a difficult 
table-length carom shot, requir¬ 
ing a very steep angle with the 
stick. 


Surprise #2: He miscued and 
scratched. Game over, Febe’s a 
winner, onlookers and players 
alike looking confused and dis¬ 
believing, Peter could barely ad¬ 
just to the fact that he’d missed 
possibily the easiest shot of the 
evening, only to sit down and 
win the game and the match 
without moving again! 

Suprise #3: I won the Most 
Valuable Player tournament. 
The surprise in the issue is not 
so much that I won it, but the 
manner in which it was won. 
Held at the Stables December 3 
and 10 and sponsored by a 
$2,000 annual donation from 
Cows/California Beverage, the 
competition had been tough 
both days, sparked with many 
exciting contests. But when it 


comes down to the final matches 
. . . as I’m afraid I’ve pointed 
out before . . . the strangest 
things seem to happen. With 
$150 to the winner, my adver¬ 
sary was Randy Caruso of the 
Arena Lions, and it must have 
looked for a while as if we’d both 
been paid to throw it (like Peter 
days earlier, I missed the easiest 
shot of the day) until Randy 
caught fire and won three con¬ 
secutive games. He got the first 


First Gay S.F. Inter-Bowling 
Leape Convention 


Surprise! 


GENE MILLER 


seasons. It was expected to be a 
close match and indeed it was, 
although Febe’s (the good guys, 
if you please) enjoyed a 3-game 
edge in the middle going of the 
16-game contest. After the full 
16, however, we were tied at 
eight wins apiece. When that 
happens in the playoffs, each 
captain selects a player to play 
a single game for all the marbles, 
and after four hours of pool, it 
all came down to a single match 
between Peter Fleury and 
Colin Bradley. 

Peter had been in top shape 
— fow wins, no losses, perform¬ 
ing sparkling table runs his first 
two games. The 16th game was 
a Fleury victory over Bradley 
but that didn’t alter team cap¬ 
tain Gordon Bell’s choice for 
Colin in the tiebreaker. Flewy 
won the lag and broke the balls, 
sinking a stripe. League rules 
dictate an open table following 
the break, so he chose solids 
since one was sitting inches from 


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As I’ve pointed out so many 
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shocker for us. Strange things 
seem to happen when, after 
three months of routine 8 ball, 
playing what we think are 
crucial matches, we are sud¬ 
denly faced with the reality of 
making this ball or not getting 
another shot ’til next year; the 
game moves to another level. 
The unpredictable somehow be¬ 
comes inevitable. 


Two perfect examples of this 
mysterious phenomenon occur¬ 
red within days of each other. 
On December 6 the city cham¬ 
pionship got underway, and to 
nobody’s surprise it was Febe’s 
vs. the Stallion Stampede. Per¬ 
haps all the players wished we 
didn’t all know each other just 
for one night — it seems easier 
to be truly competitive when 
facing an unfamiliar foe — but 
in fact we are all very good 
friends, league players for many 


Now through January 15th, you can 
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MY KNIGHTS 
IN LEATHER 


Dungeons and 
Dragons 


A lthough the stereotypical 
image of Folsom Street is 
Leather, the continuum of 
activity on the street is incredi¬ 
bly broad. From the most seri¬ 
ous of the butch to the butch 
who have a taste for drag to 
those only into drag, the street 
accommodates all. Last Sunday 
the hollow rang with parties 
which couldn’t have illustrated 
this continuum better. 

A joint beer bust united the 
Eagle and Chaps with bands of 
men traipsing between the two 
bars. Beer busts have always 
been So/M’s way of making a 
party, raising funds for good 
causes, and getting folks to¬ 
gether. Sunday afternoons the 
guys are more casual and there’s 
less pressure to pick up a trick. 
Now that winter weather has set 
in we’ve brought out the cold 
weather leathers: lots of leather 
gloves, pants — even shirts, 
their handsome black sheen re¬ 
flecting the light of tiny Christ¬ 
mas orbs. 

At the same time, the court 
folks gathered at Febe’s for Em¬ 
press Connie’s Polish Auction 
with humorist Naomi Del Rey 
acting as auctioness. At a Polish 
auction you pay a buck each 
time you bid. Bidding stops 
w hen the auctioneer calls time or 
the runners (in this case Colette, 
Darlene, and GD Sable) col¬ 
lapse. Ms. Connie raised $800 
for our men on Ward 5B. 

Elsewhere in the courts: Mr. 
and Miss Gay SF, Michael and 
Trixie, helped out our firefight¬ 
ers with a Toys for Tots func¬ 
tion at the New Bell. All the per¬ 
formers — Margo, Tammy 
Lynn, and Ronnie Lynn — 
donated tips back to the cause. 


KARL STEWART 

ONCE MORE, INTO 
THE BREACH 

The Empress and Emperor 
are about to step down. For the 
first time in years, we have a ful¬ 
ly qualified field of candidates 
— 9 of ’em. The male title is be¬ 
ing vied for by former Blue Boy 
Tim Oros; The Coits favorite 
son. Rich Carle; accountant 
Rennis; and the pride of the 
Polk, Billy Ray. 

The Empress title is the real 
field of battle, however. The 
So/M is rallying behind Bar- 



Tuice the Room to Get Bashed In. Leatherman cozied up in front of 
the Eagle s Christmassy bar decorations for a beer before traipsing to Chaps 
during the joint beer bash the bars sponsored. (Photo: Rink) 


campaign trail all year. Kickoff 
parties are busting out right and 
left. You can keep track of the 
campaign events in my weekly 
Calendar. 



7 he Men If ho Made Money. The SF AIDS Fund’s Rick Booth (second 
from right) accepts a check of money raised at the CMC Carnival. The presen¬ 
tation look place at the Arena. (Photo: Rink) 


bary Coaster Remy Martin. 
Kingmaker Ginger is backing 
her creation. Sissy Spaceout, 
who has already presented some 
pretty exotic entertainment. 
Kimo is packaging Ronnie Lynn 
and Billy beautifully, and we 
have a rising star in Miss Piggi. 
The incomparable Margo 
Moore with her wild leather/ 
new wave act has been on the 


The grande dame herself, 
Empress I Jose, has made a re¬ 
cent resurgence. Spotted at Con¬ 
nie’s controversial State Dinner, 
Jose then popped up at Char 
and Jon’s great Grand Opening 
of the Kokpit and yet again at 
Ginger’s Headdress Ball. Jose 
performed at the legendary 



Some Will Soon be Royal. With the exception of Miss Piggi, who was taking a mud bath, here’s all the Imperial 
Candidates. Rear, (l. to r.): Ronnie Lynn, Sissy Spaceout, Tim, Margo Moore, and Rich Carle. Front: Billy Ray, Remy, 
and Rennis. Those in dresses are running for Empress; and, no, that’s not a cotton candy machine on Ronnie Lynn’s 
head. (Photo: K. Schooler) 


Black Cat for twenty years, 
stopping in 1964 only because it 
closed. That year Jose was 
crowned Empress de San Fran¬ 
cisco, beginning a tradition 
which now extends to 52 cities 
throughout the western U.S. It’s 
just great to see Jose still leading 
the pack — he’s even perform¬ 
ing at Finocchio’s. 


Best wishes for a speedy 
recovery to former Empress 
Tessie. 

NOT IN SKIRTS 

A Fallen Knight: I have very 
sad news from the MC’s; one of 
the motorcycle clubs’ biggest 
supporters, Fred Reeves, has 
died of AIDS. Fred passed away 
last Saturday. He was a member 
of The Sierra Pacific Rangers, 
one of the early uniform clubs 
here in San Francisco. 

Please stop and visit Warlock 
Russ Sullivan at Davies Memo¬ 
rial. 


The CMC, celebrating its 
twentieth anniversary this year, 
completed its Carnival cycle by 
presenting the top three Mr. 
CMC’s with trophies at The 
Arena. The freshly redone bar 
welcomed the ring of leather 
laughter as Michael Merriot, 
Mr. CMC ’84, accepted top 
honors and in turn handed over 
a check for $1,173 to handsome 
leatherman Rich Booth, repre¬ 
senting the AIDS Fund. Gunner 
Robinson of Chaps was first 
runner-up, presenting $704 to 
the Shanti Project and Keith 
Ennenga of the Gay Men’s 
Chorus presented $469 to the 
Chorus, making him second 
runner-up. A total of $2,347 was 
raised by the Mr. CMC Carnival 
contest, the difference being the 
amounts raised by Mr. Carnival 
participants Michael Alexander, 
Jon Bitler, J. Keil Ellington, 
Robert Lumen, Richard Talmy, 
Joe Tolbe, and Bob Walsh. 


Chaps will be offering dinner 
to AIDS patients on Christmas 
Eve. You can help out by 
donating 5 bucks towards that 
fund. Chuck will reward your 
gift by turning on another string 
of the lights which decorate the 
bar. 

Men Behind Bars is moving 
full steam ahead. Jim Cvitanich 
of the Pilsner Inn is directing 
and producing this variety show 
which will include your favorite 
barkeeps on stage. The Victoria 
Theatre will be the site of this 
merriment on Monday, January 
(Continued on next page) 


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BAY AREA REPORTER 


DECEMBER 15, 1983 PAGE 35 




































KNIGHTS 


creative works. 


(Continued from previous page) HEAD KNIGHT 



For years now the Headdress 
Ball has been the traditional 
kickoff to the Imperial cam¬ 
paign season. Empress Ginger 
produced the event this year and 
though the crowd was sparse, 
the costumes were amazing. 
Ginger pulled out all the stops 
by bringing in judges from all 
over the city, Reno, and An¬ 
chorage as well. Entertainment 
included Miss Gay Continental 
USA Tiffany and the fabulous 
Pat Montclaire. Designer Jon 
mounted the stage with Grand 
Duchess Sable for the first time 
in “Turn Around.” Each of the 
Empress candidates presented a 
number to us. Miss Piggi back¬ 
ed up the stage in flippers and 
a sea of pigs. Remy drove a 
crazy car, “Remembering Every 
Moo with You.” The two most 


23, at 8 PM. Will Linda and the 
Eaglettes recreate their Divine 
Miss M number? 


ART KNIGHTS 


Robert Kalthoff is best 
known here in the city for his 
clever bar cartoons announcing 
“2-4-1 specials” or “Happy 
Hour prices.” Actually, he is 
quite an accomplished, fine art¬ 
ist, as we observed last week at 
the new deco palace, Le Mirage, 
on 22nd near Guerrero. He’s 
been at the palette since 1953 
and has lived here for the past 
eight years. His male nudes in 
charcoal and conte and large, 
sensitive portraits give one 
rise. . . 


The opening party was hosted 
by Le Mirage’s owners, Suki 
Sakuoto and Hugh Kams. Suki 


Febe’s Foursome. They’re spreading Christmas spirit at Febe’s: (l. to r.) 
owners John and Don, manager Randy, and bartender Roger, the bar’s baby. 
At twenty-one, he’s younger than the bar! Photo: Rink I 


seating and funky interior. “We 
want this to be a bar where peo¬ 
ple feel comfortable in blue jeans 
or mink.” Hugh continued, 
“We are not tasteful, but we’re 
stylish.” Suki concluded, “It’s 
stylish trash.” You have to see 
the brass palms and old deco 
chairs from the Clift to under¬ 
stand. The Balloon Girls would 
love this place . . . Tasteful 
Trash, indeed! 

Equally tasteful was Mark 
Vieira’s opening at Castro’s 
Village Deli. This was manager 
Dan’s first reception for an art¬ 
ist and an opulent one, too. 
Guests sipped white wine and 
sampled cold cuts while viewing 
Mark’s Hollywood-style pho¬ 
tography. “Tableaux de Bar” is 
a photo story in the Hollywood/ 
Deco manner. Boy meets boy in 
“Gay Bar,” then loses boy 
(’cause he was married), and 
turns to old friend. These are 


version of “No One Will Hurt 
Me Again” and Sissy Spaceout 
with her troupe from Xenon and 
a bald head doing “The Twi¬ 
light Zone.” Robert K re¬ 
marked, “It’s not often you get 
to see that many pills kick in at 
once!” I agree. 

The top laurels went to Doug 
Ardamatt for his Partridge in a 
Pear Tree, Miss Piggi for her 
Pigs at Sea, and Gladys Bumps, 
who looked like a Christmas pin 
cushion. In third place, winning 
$200, was Mr. Barry and his 
silver, muscled body and huge 
space headdress. Second spot 
was taken by Jose, who wore a 
bejeweled gown and a six-foot 
tower of sequins. The $500 top 
prize walked away with a giant 
green Christmas tree named 
Matasha. Other honorable men¬ 
tions went to Rich Carle and 
GD Edie for a Maiden and the 
Tree (two turtle doves) and a 



group entry headed by the 
stylish Baroness von Dieckoff. 

One of the touching moments 
of the evening was a toast by 
Ginger, with champagne for all, 
to California Hall. It has been 
sold and will soon be renovated, 
putting the price out of reach for 
most nonprofit events. 

MAM Productions (who also 
did the sound for the event) will 
be getting all the business at 
their warehouse space from now 
on. 


KNIGHT-EMS 

On Friday, you can meet all 
the Imperial candidates at 
MAM warehouse located at 10 
Rogers. The crowned heads of 
San Francisco will host A Coun¬ 
try Christmas from 8 PM. For 
$6 you’ll get entertainment, a 
buffet, and booze at a buck a 
throw. Sounds like fun!! 

Boy, they’re doing something 
right: Editor JR has started call¬ 
ing all the chits in a wonderful 
effort to put Drummer’s Stud- 
store on the So/M map. He 
began with Carlo Carlicci’s 
clever cartoon look at Gay life. 
Carlo appeared in person at the 
store last week for a book sign¬ 
ing. On Friday, 12/16, at 6 PM 
you can meet Olaf. He’ll be 
opening an exhibition of his 
drawings from Seductions: Rites 
of Passage, an illustrated novel. 
This is a rare opportunity which 
one may not get again. 



Mix and Match. The CMC Carnival, like Folsom Street’s leather com¬ 
munity, attracts men of all styles and fashion. (Photo: R. Pruzan) 



IC Sissy. Ramrod, 7:30pm. 
Dallas/49er Party. Ramrod, 6-10pm; 
food. 


One of the city’s institutions, 
Dick Walters (aka Sweet Lips) 
celebrated yet another of his 
countless birthdays last week 
with folks from all over the town 
honoring him at Googie’s. 
Among the celebrants were 
Jerry and Read Gilmore, who 
are getting used to No/M life 
after having taken over the din¬ 
ing room at the Atherton Hotel. 
Remember, Market Street is not 


8pm-2am; hostess: Rita Rocket; DJ: 
Lee Harrington. 

Logo Contest. Chaps; voting during 
bar hours (thru Sat., 12/17). 

Friday, 12/16: A Country Christmas. 
MAM Productions, 10 Rogers (off 
Folsom, near 8th), 8pm; food, show, 
caroling, no-host bar; hosts: All 
Crowned Heads of SF. 


Randy Johnson. 

2-4-1 Special. Stables, 6am-noon; well 
& beer only. 

Christmas Beer Bust Party. 1808 
Club, 2-8pm; $6 (benefit Tenderloin 
Youth Street Program); host: Ginger. 

Monday, 12/19: IC Rich Carle. 
Committee meeting. Ramrod, 7pm. 

Christmas. Eagle, 10pm. 


Leather Lovers Loving Lady. Remy was surrounded by admirers at the 
Headdress Ball. (Photo: Rink) 


a river or a mountain range or 
any other natural barrier. It’s 
just a street! 

The Coronation will be held 
at the Japan Center (Kabuki) 
Theatre on January 8 at 7 PM. 
Tattoo Jim is asking everyone to 
bring a candle that evening. 
Perhaps he’s trying to conserve 
energy by cutting off the elec¬ 
tricity. Who knows? 

The SF Gay Freedom Day 
Marching Band will time up for 
Christmas at Chaps on Thurs¬ 
day, December 22, at9:30 PM. 
The $1 admission charge gets 
you a drink plus the perfor¬ 
mance. 

See ya in the skins! ■ 
K. Stewart 

Karl’s Calendar 

Thursday, 12/15: IC Rich Carle. All 
candidates reception. Febe’s, 9-1 lpm. 
IC Margo Moore. Kickoff Party. The 
Stallion, 8pm. 

IC Tim. Committee meeting. C’est Si 
Bon, 8pm. 

IC Sissy. Party. Alamo Square Saloon 
(Fillmore & Fell), 7-9pm. 

2nd Annual Family Reunion & 
Christmas Party. Castro Station, 


Reception. Olaf. The Studstore, 960 
Folsom Street, 6pm. 

Saturday, 12/17: Christmas. Troca- 
dero Transfer, 10pm; entertainment; 
DJ: Michael Lewis. 

IC Sissy. Party. The Village, 8pm. 

Sunday, 12/18: Logo Awards. 
Chaps, 6pm; 1st prize: $250. 

Jock Strap Contest. Endup, 8pm; 
judges: Imperial Candidates; MC: 


Tuesday, 12/20: Christmas. Men’s 
Room, 8pm. 

Birthday, Birthday. Prez of the Year 
Bill Woods. Ramrod, 6:30-8:30pm; 
continues at Febe’s at 9pm with Dingy 
Don and Eric Dean’s birthdays. 

IC Rich Carle. Party. Polk Gulch 
Saloon, 7-9pm. 

IC Tim. Haight area walk. Trax, 
8pm. 

IC Remy. Haight area walk. DeLuxe, 
8pm. 

IC Sissy. Party. New Bell Saloon, 
7:30pm. 

Artist Reception. Karen Andersen & 
Carol Benioff. The Law Center, 295 
Fell St., Suite B, 5-8pm. 

Wednesday, 12/21: All Candidates 
Night. Kimo’s, 8pm. 

Thursday, 12/22: Gay Marching 
Band Concert. Chaps, 9:30pm; ad¬ 
mission: $1 (gets drink plus concert). 
Birthday. John Kissinger (owner). 
Febe’s, 9pm. 

Christmas. Stables, 9pm-2am; drink 
specials, hot hors d’oeuvres, surprises. 
Christmas. Endup, 8pm; drink spe¬ 
cials; featuring Torch in concert, no 
cover. 


Tidings on the March 

The San Francisco Gay 
Freedom Day Marching Band 
will tune up for a very special 
Christmas performance at 
9:30 PM on Thursday, Decem¬ 
ber 22 at Chaps Bar. All are in¬ 
vited and admission is $1 which 
includes a drink. Chaps will 
donate a portion of its bar pro¬ 
ceeds for the evening to the San 
Francisco Band Foundation to 
keep the Band marching in the 
New Year. 

The Chaps performance is 
only one of four appearances by 
Band instrumentalists during 
Christmas week. In addition to 
scheduled events, the Band will 
also engage in some impromptu 


Christmas caroling on Castro 
and Polk Streets on weekend 
afternoons to spread good holi¬ 
day tidings. The Band winds up 
the season in a joint performance 
with the Gay Men’s Chorus at 
Norse Auditorium on Christmas 
Eve, followed by the Band’s 
traditional Christmas morning 
mini-concert for senior citizens 
at the Fairmont Hotel. 

According to Foundation 
Vice President Duke Armstrong 
the South of Market Christmas 
performance is part of the 
Band’s ongoing effort to appeal 
to all elements in the Gay com¬ 
munity. “The Band is the pride 
of all of us,” said Armstrong, 
“and we are just trying to share 
a little Christmas cheer all the 
way around.” ■ 


BAY AREA REPORTER DECEMBER 15, 1983 PAGE 36 













KARRNAL KNOWLEDGE 


The Bottoms 

are Toppers 



Bill Henson made his debut in Falcon s New Breed video. What a stock¬ 
ing stuffer this would make for Christmas! 


A friend of mine has been liv¬ 
ing in Manhattan for sev¬ 
eral years. An opera fanat¬ 
ic, he found the pleasures of 
both the Met and City Opera an 
irresistible lure. He was also an 
untiring trash-and-trickster, out 
nightly in that city’s numerous 
dim dives. That was pre-AIDS, 
however, and he was subse¬ 
quently very ill with an undiag¬ 
nosed yet related ailment. Now 
he’d like to be married and 
monogamous. For that reason, 
he told me, he’d give up New 
York’s nearly year-round opera, 
and move back to San Fran¬ 
cisco. 

“You can’t get married in 
New York?” I asked. 

“The odds are against it,” he 
said, and gave an ostensibly sur¬ 
prising, but quickly recogniz¬ 
able explanation which will ring 
true to all who’ve been out on the 
streets searching, if not for their 
heart’s desire, for their gonads’ 
relief. 

My friend is a top man. He 
wants a spouse who’s a bottom. 
Seems you can’t find a bottom 
in New York — that aggressive 
city is home only to tops, and the 
few bottoms are fought over. On 
the other hand, says my friend, 
laid-back San Francisco is a city 
of bottoms, all searching hope¬ 
lessly for a top of their own. Do 
you identify with that. 

To facilitate his marriage, my 
top friend will simply move his 
much-coveted proclivity here. 
Voila! Instant marriage. All you 
have to do is change coasts. (I 
suggested to him we trade apart¬ 
ments; perhaps I should just tell 
him to propose to me. He’s tall, 
handsome, well-built, and 
charming — and, no, I will not 
forward applications.) 

The contention that we’re a 
city of bottoms is borne out by 
a recent video from Falcon 
Studios. The New Breed has at¬ 
tractive tops all right, but as 
Perry Como always said, “You 
can’t have one without the 
other.” The tops in this hour- 
long video are upstaged by their 
bottoms. As hot and horny as 
the fuckers are, the fuckees ex¬ 
pose the fallacy of terming then- 
role “passive,” for they are, with 
one exception, aggressive and 
voracious. 

Fronting the video is Malibu, 
which has the longest playing 
time (23 minutes) and the best 


known cast. Bill Henson was 
making his debut in this video, 
so Kris Bjorn got top billing. No 
aspersions on Bjorn’s perfor¬ 
mance (he’s as thick and suave 
as ever) but Henson eclipses the 
star with his combination of 
youth, stature, beauty of face, 
form, and buns, and happy re¬ 
ceptivity. He’s shot (ahem) 
directly to top bililng, and has 
appeared in several films since, 
most notably A Matter of Size 
(review forthcoming). In 
Malibu he jogs on the beach so 
we can adore his body in motion, 
and then surprises Bjorn, who is 
masturbating in his room when 
Henson and friend Bill Harlen 
walk in. 

Both Harlen and Bjorn are 
San Franciscans, even though 
this was filmed on location in 
Malibu. Bjorn takes the lead in 
kissing, licking, sucking, and 
fucking the large Henson, while 
Harlen is basically set decora¬ 
tion until it’s his turn for a short 
star turn. 


Malibu has many highpoints. 
One shows Harlen and Henson 
blowing Bjorn’s thick cock 
simultaneously, their lips run¬ 
ning up the shaft and meeting in 
a kiss at the top. Another finds 
Henson and Bjorn on their 
backs, legs over their heads, butt 
to butt. Harlen gazes down at 
their two adjacent assholes, rims 
one and the other appreciatively 
as the camera gazes straight 
down into the twin love tunnels. 

Most notable, though, is a 
stack ’em up fuck, which finds 
Henson straddling Harlen, then- 
assholes vertically aligned, and 
Bjorn stuffing his Nordic num¬ 
ber in one and then the other. 
It’s inventive, erotic, and well 
filmed. 

The trio move through other 
equally successful sexual con¬ 
figurations. Although mouths 
don’t really come in the size 
necessary to accommodate 
Bjorn’s cock, Henson does quite 
well. The menage link up in con¬ 
nections that make Balanchine’s 
famous choreographic chains 
look simple, and the bottoms 
come out on top. Their star 
quality eclipses the star. 

The second episode is my 
favorite, and despite a silly but 
short introduction, I haven’t 
tired of watching it. Stud for 
Hire seems too short at 18 
minutes when Wes Cole gets go¬ 
ing on the hustler he’s hired. 
Both Cole and Jeff Porter, the 
hustler, are newcomers. Porter 
is attractive and hung, an active 
fucker, but he lacks presence. 
Blonde and chunky Cole has 
charisma for both, though, and 
he’s dynamite feasting on his 
purchase. He’s expert at dis¬ 
playing Porter’s goods to the 
camera, thrusting the long cock 
into tantalizing views before de¬ 
vouring it. And is he a bottom? 
It may be better to give than to 
receive, but Cole shows what a 
fine art receiving can be. The 
episode culminates with Cole 
upturned on his shoulders and 
Porter fiercely pumping an ass 
that’s greeting the ceiling. Cole’s 
ecstasy reads better than 
Porter’s strong yet diligent ap¬ 
proach, and his orgasm can be 
viscerally felt. He delivers a sec¬ 
ond time, and even better, too. 
When the hustler leaves, Cole 
(Continued on next page) 



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BAY AREA REPORTER DECEMBER 15. 1983 PAGE 37 































Connecting thousands of Gay Men 
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FIRE ISLAND REVERIE... 

LANGUID POOL WATERS... 
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co-starring 

WILL j 
^SEAGERS 


DONE 

FOX, 


KARRNAL 

KNOWLEDGE 

(Continued from previous page) 

jacks off into the underwear the 
fellow left behind. His cock is 
finely shaped, harder than one 
thought possible, and bursting 
to pop. It soon does, with a sky- 
high projectile that’s a surprise 
and smash finale. I’in looking 
forward to future appearances of 
the talented Mr. Cole whose role 
as a bottom gets top billing. 

The New Breed may be this 
video’s title episode, but I find 
it the weakest. Dark-haired and 
tan Tony Calhoun is a rancher 
who finds Tex camping out and 
jacking off on his property. They 
proceed through a suck-to-fuck 
routine which is professional by 
any standards, but lacks the in¬ 
terpersonal chemistry to excite. 
Still, it can’t be faulted, and 
showcases another firm Falcon 
fuck. 

There’s a bonus after these 
three features — an all-too-short 
six-minute solo jack-off starring 
Bill Henson. It’s called Briefs, 


which is not a description of its 
length, but a clue to its origin. 
Henson portrays the Calvin 
Klein underwear man, and is 
devastatingly sexy in his white 
white Calvin jockeys. Lying on 
his stomach, churning his per¬ 
fectly shaped buns in the air, 
you’ll be moved to applause. 
Then he teases, pulling the 
shorts just below the full curve 
of his glory globes and spreading 
his cheeks for full exposure. His 
desire is delicious, his taunting 
tantalizing. This bottom just 
isn’t about to be discreet about 
his desires. The climax is short 

— discarding the briefs, he jacks 
off to a quick climax. I wish the 
segment was longer. Henson 
may not be the tops in person¬ 
ality, but his goods are Tiffany’s 
all the way, and he loves show¬ 
ing them. 

The music is typically Falcon 

— you’ll probably want to turn 
the sound off, but the cinema¬ 
tography and color are first rate. 
Falcon’s been on a winning 
streak for some time, and The 


New Breed is a sure-to-receive- 
repeat-play video for your col¬ 
lection. It’s available from 
Falcon Studios, P.O. Box 750, 
SF 94101. 

COCKTALES 

There’s complaints that the 
new Nob Hill Cinema won’t 
honor membership cards from 
the old Nob Hill. I don’t know 
why the door clerk doesn’t ex¬ 
plain, but as I understand it, 
they simply can’t. The previous 
management left debts galore. 
To be able to reopen at all, the 
new management cannot be re¬ 
sponsible for those debts, which 
include IRS demands, a large 
advertising bill, etc. In dis¬ 
associating themselves from the 
previous management, the cur¬ 
rent proprietor is forced to begin 
entirely anew — and that means 
new memberships. They aren’t 
trying to bilk you with a scam, 
as it appears. It’s an unfortunate 
combination of tax laws, legali¬ 
ties, and show biz. 

★ ★ ★ 

Come Back to the Five and 
Ten, Dick Fisk; My Hand 
Will Be Lonely Without You! 
Shortly after he had made a fab 
return to porn films in Falcon 
Studios’ Spokes, front-ranking 
star Dick Fisk was killed in an 
auto accident. Fisk’s broad 
shoulders, wasp waist, and fine 
as silk and jet black hair acted 
in unison with a whopper cock 
to make the personable young 
man a star several years ago. I 
don’t know why, but he retired 
from the screen and spent four 
years in Georgia. I also don’t 
know what prompted his return 
to the screen, but his fans — 
legions of men — rejoiced. He 
returned an adult. Exact 


Kris Bjorn bows to the rising stardom of Bill Henson (center) while Bill 
Harlen hangs on for the ride. 


changes in his appearance were 
hard to pinpoint, perhaps be¬ 
cause the change revolved most 
around a new attitude and 
energy level he portrayed. He 
was a new and manly Fisk. 
Without grandstanding he holds 
his own, the seasoned profes¬ 
sional, among the attractive, 
hung, and talented cast of 


Spokes. 

I ’ll have special reason to miss 
him; I’m a black hair fetishist, 
and Fisk was the finest of the 
black-haired stars. He’s sur¬ 
vived by numerous films and 
magazines; he’ll be remembered 
in a most active fashion. ■ 
Karr 


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PORN CORNER 


RON BLUESTEIN 

Dueling Sermons 

EDITOR’S NOTE: In a column printed December 1, titled Ronnetttte’s 
Epistle to the San Franciscans, Ronnetttte was upset over the pall of religi¬ 
osity and lack of hygiene at the St. Priapus Church, run by Father Don 
Jackson. Ronnetttte also commented, unflatteringly, on the physical ap¬ 
pearance of Fr. Jackson’s “parishioners.” Beauty, as we see it, is not only 
in the eye of its possessor, but frequently up its ass as well. Fr. Jackson sent 
the following in response. 


T o the Editor: The Sins of 
Ronnetttte and the Gay 
Community will be the 
subject of a special sermon at St. 
Priapus Church, 583 Grove, 
Thursday and Saturday at 
2 PM and Friday and Saturday 
at 8:30 PM. 

The effeminate, the old, the 
fat, the skinny, the unattractive, 
the poor, the non-White, the 
drag, the handicapped, and the 
female are all oppressed and dis¬ 
criminated against by the Gay 
community. This doesn’t.stop 
with sexual discrimination; it ex¬ 
tends into employment and 
housing. Never in the history of 
the world has a group been so 
filled with bigotry against so 
many different groups. The ser¬ 
mon will show that Gay bigotry 
raises out of the anti-sex dogma, 
which is the hallmark of the 
anti-Christ churches. 

Ronnetttte has attended our 
services often, but he apparent¬ 
ly still thinks we are some sort 
of sex club. That’s because he 
doesn’t understand the role of 
sacramental sex in the theology 
of Gnostic Christianity. Sex, to 
us, is a sacrament, an unselfish 
act of giving oneself for the ful¬ 
fillment of others. Our tradition 
as a branch of Christianity dates 
from the time of Christ, who 
taught our creed. 

Not only do we provide for the 
spiritual, social, and sexual 
needs of the outcasts of Gay 
society, but we counsel and care 
for the sick and imprisoned, and 
clothe, feed, and shelter the 
homeless as Jesus commands in 
The Last Judgment (Mat. 25). 


The “terminally unattractive” 
Ron condemns are beautiful, 
loving, caring souls who give 
generoulsy of their time and 
money to care for the outcasts of 
Gay society. As a result of their 
humanitarianism, our church 
helps more people in more 
significant ways than any other 
Gay organization, as anyone 
who bothers to drop by can 
verify for themselves. Twenty 
years from now, Ronnetttte will 
join the ranks of the “terminally 
unattractive” and he’ll find out 
what it’s like to be on the receiv¬ 
ing end. 

A million orgazms, 
Fr. Donald Jackson 

RONNETTTTE’S REPLY 
If I had been contacted by 
Susan Sontag and told that she 
was doing an exegesis on the 
Workos Literarios Completos de 
Ronnetttte , I could not be more 
pleased than I am at the news of 
Father Jackson’s sermon, “The 
Sins of Ronnetttte. ” Perhaps he 
and I should exchange talks — 
sort of dueling sermons. I will 
begin with the subject “Ron¬ 


netttte — Caught in a Bed of In¬ 
nocence.” This will be followed 
by an account of my life on the 
streets (“Sucked to the Bottom”) 
and my adventures in the fast- 
lane, high-rolling life at the Bay 
Area Reporter (“Sucked to the 
Top”). 

If Priapus is not some sort of 
sex club, then cocksucking and 
circle jerks are not some sort of 
sex. 

A friend of mine showed me 
a letter he received which con¬ 
tained a description of St. 
Priapus. “Saturday night,” the 
correspondent wrote, “I visited 
a ‘service’ at the Church of St. 
Priapus, two dimly lit, very 
small rooms doubling as some¬ 
one’s apartment by day and as 
a strange suck palace by night 
. . . Twenty or more people 
crowded about: a loudmouthed 
youth in only a shirt and femi¬ 
nine voice, white bearded men 
in the comer smoking joints and 
playing with their wet noodles, 
a globular woman on the couch, 
her face entirely hidden in a 
man’s crotch. The inhabitants 
would all look at home in Skid 
Row. I toured the area, unglued 
myself from the clutches of a 
globular toupeed man (very dif¬ 
ficult to do) and left all within 
five minutes from my entry. 
There truly is a place for every¬ 
one.” 

I applaud Father Jackson’s 
sheltering the homeless and 
feeding the hungry, and I thank 
God that I am in a position 
where I do not have to accept 
such unhygienic charity. I sug¬ 
gest he take a trip down Laguna 
Street to the Zen Center to see 
that godliness is next to, at the 
very least, cleanliness. ■ 


Band with Chorus 


The San Francisco Gay 
Freedom Day Marching Band 
will perform for the first time at 
Golden Gate Performing Arts’ 
annual holiday concert, Now 
Sing with Hearts Aglow, which 
has previously been an all-choral 
event. The Band has also offer¬ 
ed to perform without fee, as a 
contribution to the GGPA. 


The concert will be perform¬ 
ed on December 18 and 24 at 
Nourse Auditorium, Hayes at 
Franklin. A mail-order bro¬ 
chure sent out by GGPA has 
already resulted in a sell-out of 
the $10 reserved section. For re¬ 
maining tickets in the $6 and $8 
sections, contact GGPA at (415) 
864-0326. ■ 


BAY AREA REPORTER DECEMBER 15. 1983 PAGE 38 




























Getting Lit for Christmas 


How come so many Polk area 
bartenders are defecting to the 
Castro? First we find Lucy of 
the White Swallow doing Mon¬ 
day/Tuesday, 6 to noon, at 
the Pendulum; and now Bill 
Wright, formerly of Gilmore’s, 
is at the Nothing Special on 
Monday and Thursday through 
Saturday from 6 AM to noon. 
Good luck to Bill. . . but I still 
have to put up with Lucy at the 
White Swallow Thursday 
through Sunday, days. Inciden¬ 


tally, Mike Dooley is back on 
the plank at the White Swallow 
again after being out ill. It is 
true, Michael, that Nooch is in¬ 
stalling safety belts on your stool 
at Googie’s. 

Fabulous Eartha Kitt will be 
at the Trocadero Transfer on 
Saturday IT from 10 PM ’til 
dawn in the first club perfor¬ 
mance of “Where is My Man” 
. . . and I want to know where 
mine is too, Ms. Kitt! This is 


DICK WALTERS 


l ou Go to My Head. Headdress Ball organizers Marlena (l.)and Ginger. 
(Photo: Rink) 


the Troc’s Christmas Party, so 
don’t miss it. The DJ will be 
Mike Lewis. 

Christmas decorations are up 
in a lot of the bars and some are 
really out of sight. . . the New 
Bell’s tree has 2,000 lights on it 
and is just gorgeous. The Gate 
is aglow with many, many 
lights. Its true Christmas spirit 
makes you feel at home. Also, 
don’t miss the White Swallow, 
as Russ and Jim have hired 
Allen Leonardi to do the deco¬ 
rating and it truly looks like a 
fairyland . . . congrats! An¬ 
other bar with a great decor is 
the Giraffe.1t was decorated by 
its manager, David, and his 
lover, Bobby. The walls have 
been totally covered with gift 
wrapping and giant bows, re¬ 
sembling Christmas presents. 
These 27 gift boxes, carded for 
27 different bars, make the room 
really festive. Great job, guys 
. . . Hi, Larry. 

We’ve got to stop meeting in 
all of those strange places, Reba. 
People are beginning to talk. 
I’m glad to see that Hans is still 
putting up with you at the 
Cinch, and that you are not 
drinking on duty any more . . . 
or any less. 

Remember, if you need a 
great last minute gift, try the 
Video Mart on 9th Street (at 
Folsom) . . . lots of great tapes 
and discs for sale, plus radios, 
tv’s, and video machines . . . 
Hi, Lorelei! 


Bob Ross, Jay Noonan, and 
yours truly spent Sunday in 
Portland for the closing of the 
old Dahl & Penne bar. What a 
blast it was, with Marne and 
Darcelle doing the narrating and 
so many, many people that I 
haven’t seen in years turning out 
to wish Sam and Gene adieu. 
Thanks for the trip, Bob, as I 
really enjoyed it. Yes, it was nice 
to see you again, Bill Mackey. 

On Thursday, December 22, 
Bob Dunn, the Mayor of Geary 
Street, is having his last Christ¬ 
mas Party at the Hob Nob from 
6 ’til 10 AM. Come on down 
and join in the festivities, as Bob 
always throws a biggie . . . 
right. Woody? ■ 


TILLERY 

(Continued from page 24) 

The first time that I heard 
Linda Tillery sing, I felt that 
rare tingle of discovering for 
myself an unmistakable and 
wonderful gift. One critic has 
described her voice as “rich and 
sweet as hot fudge and as power¬ 
ful as a blast furnace. ” Another 
spoke of “vocal strength and 
clarity of delivery, almost un¬ 
paralleled in its force and 
presence.” 

The prime ingredient for a 
singer is the instrument itself — 
the vocal cords and resonating 
chambers which produce the 
sounds. Then there are musi¬ 
cianship and technique, the 
skills with which the singer uses 
the instrument. Beyond these, 
and providing the means, which 
differentiate between a singer 
and an artist, is the musician’s 
identity, life experience, and re¬ 
sulting emotional and intellec- 


tual resources that shape and 
color the content of the singer’s 
songs. 

1 illery has the instrument. 
She learned the musicianship 
and it is evident in all her work; 
she is a virtuoso. As for her life 
experience, it is completely in¬ 
tertwined with her music and 
identity, her tale of triple jeopar¬ 
dy resolved in her daily life and 
expressed in her art. 

Linda Tillery came back from 
an abyss. She has found herself 
and is being herself — a Les¬ 
bian, a woman, a Black, a virtu¬ 
oso musician. She has attained 
the peace of accepting herself 
and saying to the world, “This 
is who I am; this is the music I 
like, the music that expresses 
who I am. Come share it with 
me!” ■ 

A. Lazere 
Linda Tillery will perform with 
pianist Adrienne Torff at the Great 
American Music Hall on December 
18; 885-0750. 


Hipster and Hunks. Sonny Padilla, Jr. will perform his new hit, “It’s 

V our Body," as a benefit for Ward SB patients. The event is called A 
Gift for Christmas and will be presented at Esta INoche (16th Street near 

V alencia) at 7 PM on December 18. Donations are requested and will 
he divided equally between the patients of W ard 5B. Padilla's perfor¬ 
mance will include "Hunks" Joe Tolbe, David Sabado, Ross Seville, 
John Hayes, and Michael Sherlock (left, blonde), with choreography by 
Jim Snydac. It will be recorded on video for showing on MTV. Padilla 
follows up this benefit by caroling in Ward 5B on Christmas Eve and 
a California tour to present his song at other bars, all culminating in 
a presentation to Mayor Feinstein on January 6. 


SWEETLIPS SEZ 


BAY AREA REPORTER CLASSIFIEDS 


The Bay Area Reporter will 
not accept ads that are 
discriminatory in employ¬ 
ment, housing, or public 
accommodations. 


FINANCIAL 

SERVICES 


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BAY AREA REPORTER 


LOCALS* CHOICE FOB MNO-VACATIONS 
• CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST 
• ADULT MOVIES/MINI-THEATRE 

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• TOURIST HOTEL CONVENIENCE 
• DAILY A WEEKLY RATES • CENTRAL 

LOCATION tROLK-F OLBOW-CABTBO) 

DECEMBER 15, 1983 PAGE 39 































































BAY AREA HEPORTER CLASSIFIEDS 


f \MEET THAT\ 
SPECIAL GUY ! 

(Relationship-Oriented) 


Discreet • Ages 20 - 60 





S.F.(41 5) 775-9169 
L.A.(21 3) 854-1800 

Personalized Introductions 
for Gay Men since 1974 
. VISA/MC J 


THEATRE DISTRICT 

WINTON HOTEL 
445 O'Farrell 885-1988 

$15 per night $60 per week & up 



minutes. Lovers' 
(408) 257-8119. 


Hide-A-Way. 


$300 Includes Utilities. Furn or 
unfurn. 2 bedroom home. Mature 



CIVIC CENTER HOTEL 

NEW MANAGEMENT 
$60/wk & up - $14/day & up 
24-hr Desk - Switchboard 
Great Transportation 

20 12th St. (nr Market & Van Ness) 
861-2373 


The oldest, the biggest, and 
the gayest Gay newspaper— 
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Reporter. 


COMMUNITY 

RENTALS 

• Over 1300 Apts, flats & 
houses each month. 

• Vacancies in all city areas. 

• 2 convenient offices. 

• Open 7 days a week. 

• Gav owned/Gay staffed. 

552*9595 


Bunk house flpts. 

Office: 419 Ivy Street 
San Francisco 
Mon.-Fri. 1-6 PM 
Or By Appointment 

Studio, 501 Octavia #3 . $300 

Studio, 419 Ivy #8.$300 

1 B.R., 419 Ivy #6.$350 

1 B.R., 562 Hayes #7 ... $350 
4 Rm. Flat, 456 Ivy.$400 

Stove, refrigerator, carpets 
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required. No deposits. 


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a pretty posh paltr y-priced 
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Qan Fran/-'ic/-'n 0/1109 



^ IVY HOTEL 

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space too. 552-5276, 12-3 PM 

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DISC JOCKEY 

Needed by popular bar for fill-in/ 
2 or 3 shifts per week to start. 
Overall music requires masculine 
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Basic foundation similar to playlist 
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other for interest, variety, artistic 
contrast, etc. Submit C-90 cas¬ 
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perience, job history to D.J. c/o 
2269 Market St., Box 295, SF, CA 
94114. Include contact/return in¬ 
formation. E50 

Barback/bartender 22-30 hrs wk. 
Apply in person Thurs. only 1 PM- 
4 PM, 3255 Lakeshore, Oakland 
or call same time only for appt. 
832-3242. E50 

NEW EASTBAY BATH 

Interviewing experienced men for 
all positions. Apply in person to 
Club Baths East Bay: 2544- 73rd 
Ave. Tues. thru Fri. 1 PM-4 PM. 

E50 

MODELS NEEDED! 

Natl. pubs. Honcho, etc. Must 
be hung big, exceptional looking. 
Good pay. 431-8122. E5i 

Typist-Temp, needed immediately 
Must type 60 WPM. $5/hr. Call 
Kathy 621-1945. E50 


POSITION OPENING 

OFFICE OF THE CLERK 

U S. COURT OF APPEALS 

FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT 
The Office of the Clerk is now 
accepting applications for the 
position of: 

ADMINISTRATIVE SECRETARY 
TO THE PROCUREMENT CLERK 
Starting salary $11,949 - $14,901 
per year dependent upon education 
and prior work experience. 
Incumbent will perform secretarial 
bookkeeping and other duties to 
assist the Administrative Service 
Procurement Clerk. The Procure¬ 
ment Clerk is responsible for the 
major procurement activities of 
the Court of Appeals, including 
furnishings, equipment, supplies 
and services. 

Duties: Maintains procurement 
ledger accounts and inventory: 
prepares and monitors vouchers 
submitted to vendors: contacts 
suppliers and vendors concerning 
routine procurement. matters: 
performs other clerical and secre¬ 
tarial functions, as required. 
Incumbent reports to the Admin¬ 
istrative Service Procurement 
Clerk. 

Qualifications: High school degree 
and at least one year of basic 
bookkeeping experience is re¬ 
quired. Education may be substi¬ 
tuted for experience pursuant to 
Administrative Office guidelines. 
Applicants must obtain an appli¬ 
cation from Fiona Humphrey. 
Personnel Office. Office of the 
Clerk. US. Court of Appeals. 
Post Office Box 547. San Fran 
cisco. CA 94101 (556-9624) 
Closing Dale: December 21. 1983 

An Eqii.il OoiidiliiMilv Employer 


EMPLOYMENT 

WANTED 

5 YEARS EXPERIENCE 
IMPORT/EXPORT 

Currently employed by F500 
corp. Fluent Spanish and German. 
Supervisory exp. in L/C, Imp. 
Licenses, Shipping. Wish to 
relocate in Bay Area. Am 30, 
dependable, outgoing, hard¬ 
working. Also have excellent com¬ 
mand of Easytrieve/IMS computer 
language. Serious replies only to: 
Mark Schwartz, 928 S. Euclid, 
Oak Park, IL 60304 or phone 
312-848-5303. E50 


Wanted to Purchase 
ATLAS STOCK 
Call 673-0133 


BUSINESS 

OPPORTUNITIES 


Bar/disco, mid-peninsula. Excel¬ 
lent lease. Call 595-5094 or 
469-7965._ E3 

Investor for expanding 2 yr. old 
janitorial service. 15% interest. 
Jerry 587-6404. E5i 


CLUBS & 

ORGANIZATIONS 


GAY MORMONS 

AFFIRMATION is a social organi¬ 
zation for active, inactive & former 
LDS. Parties, pot-lucks, outings, 
discussion groups, Family Home 
Eves & more! Check us out! 
641-0791. 


CHOICES, a dating service in 
Willow Glen section of San Jose. 
You choose the people you would 
like to date. Free to first thirty. 
408-971-7408. E3 



BAY AREA REPORTER DECEMBER 15. 1983 PAGE 40 


The oldest, the biggest, and 
the gayest Gay newspaper— 
the perennial Bay Area 
Reporter. 


GET IT ON!! 
TAPE 

We convert any 8mm or 
Super 8mm film or 35mm 
slides onto video tape 
BETA or VHS 


STILL ALONE? 

If you’re tired of waiting for the 
right man to show up, and you’re 
ready to take the necessary steps 
to begin a successful search, call. 

EDGAR CARPENTER 864-3053 

Certified 

Neuro-Linguistic Programmer 


SEX & RELIGION 

Do go together. Phallic worship followed by 
Circle J/O & sex. Wed, Thurs 2PM; Fri. Sat 
8:30PM. St. Priapus Church, 583 Grove. 
431-2188. Jobs needed for homeless 
chents. St, Priaous Gay Rescue Mission, 
emergency shelter, food, counseling. No 
sex or religion required: 431-2188. 


20% Discount with this AD 
Call for Prices 
BEST VIDEO TAPES 
939-9166 

WE ALSO OFFER A COMPLETE 
QUALITY SERVICE FOR 
FILMING, EDITING OR COPYING. 


CURIOS & CANDLES 

A COMPLETE VARIETY OF SPIRITUAL 
AND OCCULT MATERIAL 
Tarot Readings for the New Year 
Classes in Candle Magic 

289 Divisadero M-T 12-6 

San Francisco FRI 12-7 

863-5669 SAT 12-5 


Wanted: Young Latino, Asian or 
blonde for houseboy/masseur. 
Steve 626-1848_E 2 

New age psychic helps get what's 
wanted solves problm meta¬ 
physics Jack 428-2083 E50 

Blonde blue 35yo 5ft 7in 1 70 lbs 
German looks to meet guy who 
can pitch to my catch. Basic bot¬ 
tom is my forte. I need a basic top. 
Ability equip, and desire more imp. 
than looks. Perm. pos. avail. Your 
foto gets mine. Reply Suite 165, 
PO Box 15068, SF, CA 94115. 

E50 


FATIGUED? 

IMMUNE DEPRESSED? 

RICK KERR 
Holistic Healer 
558-9951 


Get Ready for 
Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival! 

Learn Brazilian Portuguese 
with natives. 

Call Gilberto 

or Jose 552-5565 


MENSTROKERS 


Good looking, talented or both? 
Hung, attr. Ital, 35, needs head on 
reg. basis. In only. 626-0505 after 
6pm E50 


New international health¬ 
conscious correspondence org. 
for men into J/O, Voyeurism, 
and Exhibitionism: MSI, 
Box 42667, S.F. 94142. 


Problems Gotcha Down?? 
Solve Them With Help From 

OPSIT 

(415)558-8454 E5Q 

WM, 35 /5-1 1, 155#. Handsome, 
hung, and fit. Intelligent and 
secure. Seeking a warm, attrac¬ 
tive, very hung man, 25-35 in¬ 
terested in sharing the best in life. 
Allan W., 28823 Baurer Rd., Col¬ 
ton, Oregon 97017; (503) 
824-2423 _ E50 

Hot Bottom Ready for Action 
771-2154 E50 

BELIEVE IN SANTA 


BODY 

SERVICES 



Inflation-fighter Perm - 


$30 complete 

Cut and bio — Men and Women 
Men's short cut-$10 

760 MarVet at Granf 
Rm. 401-6, Phelan Bldg. 

362-5198 


Invite him to your place. Great for 
parties/other surprise visits. So. 
Bay Area only. (408) 723-8563 

, _ E50 

BACKACHE? 

DR. RICK PETTIT 
CHIROPRACTOR 

552-7744 E50 

Do you want to share time and in¬ 
terests? W/M, mid 40's, attrac¬ 
tive, 5'10", 160#, would like to 
meet man in Sacramento and 
Walnut Creek areas. Call (916 
391-9755._ E50 

Well-hung blond, 26, sks hard ac¬ 
tion in SF and EB. Photo a must. , 
ESC, 495 Ellis St. #2208, SF 
94102 _ E50 

Excellent living situation available 
to sympathetic young macrobiotic 
cook, masseur, lover to successful 
45 yr European professional just 
arrived. Write Box 83, 370 Turk 
St., SF 94102 E50 


* 6 °° Permanent Wave 

PRCCtSMR 

mmcut $ j gso 

Style & Conditioner Included 

RAINBOW SAVMGCUTS 

704 LARKIN at Ellis, S.F. 
673-1171 Open Sunday 


Barber Services by 


Graf 


MASSAGE 


^************** 

★ TANTRIC MASSAGE = ★ 

★ ECSTASY + HEALTH ★ 

* 2 hrs bliss balance 7 chakras or 1 hr★ 

★ sensuous therapeutic combination tai- ^ 
jl. lored to your individual needs by young , 

* French athlete. $40/hr in - 90% repeats 

1 FRANCOIS 441-7628 * 

* ************* 


Amateur photog wants attractive 
nude guys 18-40. Non-sex. Pay in 
pix. Photo, data to Box 99453, 
S.F. 94109 E50 


Evictions 

& 

Eviction 

Defense 


Expert Legal Help 

RALPH PETERSEN, ESQ. 
986-0588 


foWHs: 

Samadhi flotation tank now available. 
Discover the peace that 1 hour in a 
light, sound & gravity free environment 
can bring you. $20/hr. See ad 
”4 Star” Eric's Word 

David_673-1308 


Latin Weightlifter 
offers esalen massage in the East 
Bay; 4 years massage exper. 
569-7649. Visa/MC E3 

Best Massage Dave 550-1247 

E2 

NUDE MASSEUR 

Full Body Massage 
Eves, Rick 431-2037 

.£52 


































































































































































BAY AREA REPORTER CLASSIFIEDS 


Massage $30. 1967 Sutter, Lie. 
Masseur. 567-6283 . £51 

Enjoy the best. Genuine sensual, 
satisfying. Great. $25. Jon, 
776-8413 E50 

THIS IS IT! 

821-6121 

Peter E50 

Weightlifter 6'4" 190# deep mas¬ 
sage non-sex 285-4319 E50 

PLAYGIRL CENTERFOLD 

6' blonde 45/hr Dan 558-9572 

_ E50 

Enjoy an Enema and Massage 
Todd 753-3248 Et 

FULL BODY MASSAGE 

from strong, sensual bear; 6'1", 
190#. Sardo, 558-9288 E50 

HOT, HAIRY 
• NUDE MASSEUR • 

Handsome Italian Stud 25 
Marco 861-7261 E50 

Eddie, 27, blond, 5'11", T25#, 
adaptable massage, day or eve¬ 
ning appointment. 763-9391 E52 

Complete massage by handsome 
guy, 398-6541, 24 hrs., LonE50 

DOUBLE PLEASURE 

Sensual massage by 2 loving men. 
Jim/Pete 431-0269 

E50 


HOT MASSEUR 

Handsome, Hairy Italian 
Stud, 27 In/Out Enrico 
(415)621-2786 


Good, Nonsexual 

MASSAGE 

$15/HR 

Charlie 387-3277 



THE HEALING ART OF 
JAPANESE BODYWORK 

17th/CASTRO S30/HR. 
SUNG 863-7840 


SWEDISH MASSAGE EXPERT 
HANDSOME NORWEGIAN STUD 
27, HUNG VERY WELL 
OLDER GUYS WELCOME 
$40/50 821-2114 

SERIOUS JOB DONE 


GOLDENBOY 

Massage Agency 

Beautiful Young 
Masseurs 18-28 
ALL NATIONALITIES: 

ASIAN, BLACK, LATIN, NORDIC, ETC. 
ALL EAGER AND ABLE TO PLEASE YOU 
Service to Hotels & Homes 

In & Out Calls 

Personal checks OK with good ID 
MC/VISA Accepted 

FANTASY CALLS ACCEPTED 

(415) 626-1848 

Alexander 

APPLICANTS NEEDED 


Treat yourself to a sensual, non-- 
sexual massage by .Rebel, 
863-3749 * esq 


$10.00 MASSAGE $10.00 

This coupon worth $10.00 on a 
reg. $30.00 massage. Masseur: 
1967 Sutter St., 567-6283. By 
appointment only. 

Member: GGBA 

$10.00 $10.00 




Visit 


Heaven 


deluxe 


generous 

health-safe 


an 


ultimate 

sensual 

Wr m ' 

. massage 
j§ experience 


Lloyd 


567 2345 


DYNAMITE! 

Handsome and Hung, 

Receive a Complete Massage 
From a Healthy, Sexy Man. 
Blonde, Blue, Mustache. 

821-2114 


• $15 • 

Warm, Sensual 
ESALEN MASSAGE 

Day/Evening Appointments 
Brian (415)864-4048 


TWO HANDSOME BLONDS 

Massage together 
or separately. 

MARK 922-7331 


RATED ★ ★ ★ ★ IN 
ERICS WORD 

EXCEPTIONAL MASSAGE 
& FLOAT TANK EXP! 
by very talented, muscular 
man. 2 for 1 $60. 

DAVID 673-1308 


EXPERT MASSAGE 

HANDSOME ORIENTAL 

BODYBUILDER 

KEN 668-8855 


The Magic Touch 

Luxury Massage by 
Handsome, Friendly, 
Muscular Expert. 
THE BEST! 

BILL 668-8866 


ENJOY YOUR HOLIDAY 
GIFT OF ALL SEASONS 

THE BEST MASSAGE AVAILABLE 
WITH THE GERMAIN APPROACH 
ROBERT 474-1210 

SPECIAL CERTIFICATES ALSO 
1-2 HRS. IN/OUT SC W/VISA/MC 


MODELS 
& ESCORTS 


$ MONEY ! ! ! $ 

Free Model's Training Guide 
Enclose self-addressed envelope with 
postage to P.O. Box 421924, 
S.F., CA 94142. 




MICHIGAN FACTORY WORKER 

Strong muscular 5'10'\ 160 lb., 9” 
crowbar looking for HOT BUNS. 
$50./$60. Leave name and no. for 
immed. callback. Tom, 567-3715. 


HOT BLACK TEXAN 

Goodlooking, tight masculine build. 
9”/Thick, 6’ 165#. Sensual & ready 
to please. Hourly/nightly. 

ALEX 441-0545 


BISEXUAL MALE 

MODEL 

Tall-Handsome-Hung 

641-0248 

Older Men Welcome 


TALL HOT BOTTOM! 

Very Handsome. 30. 6 4. 190# 
intelligent. Caring, Discreet 
Hungry Mouth & Butt! $60 in/$80out. 

JACK 863-3276 


Now in its 14th year, the 

Bay Area Reporter—Read it, 
use it, enjoy it. 


“When Quality Is Important" 


gSj wpvinmwE 

W — 1 /TU04O 


MODELS 

For the discriminating man 

ERICK. Popular college swimmer. 
Blue eyed blonde athlete. 20 yrs. 
old. Extremely energetic. 

SAL. An Olympian body reminis¬ 
cent of classic sculpture. 5' 8”, 
smooth, well-defined exceptional 
body. Sensual and versatile. 
BUTCH. Masculine ex-marine. A 
man's man. A true outdoorsman 
in every sense of the word. 

DAVE. Divorced man, 25 yrs. old, 
masculine, handsome, well- 
endowed. Energetic. Sandy 
blonde — in a class by himself. 
PETER. Strong, manly, rugged 
Greek. 24 yrs. old. 5'10’\ 195#, 
25” C. 16" Arms. This man can 
really pump iron! 

Bodybuilders and other types 
also available! 

(415) 550-0675 


Where else can you reach 
85,000 readers? A Bay Area 
Reporter classified brings 
results. 


HUNG LIKE HORSE 

Lush unct. Eric 408-336-5077 
E8 


I am Bottom or Oral 
Paul eves 929-1945 E4 

Oakland model, 28, 5'5", 140, Fr 
a/p, Gr a, j/o, exhib, voy, verbal. 
$60. Marc (415) 444-3204 E3 

★ Christmas Cheer ★ 

All you need for. a fine time - in 
abundance! Plus warm intelli¬ 
gence. Mick 20 $75 in, 100 out 
673-7750 ' ■ E5i 

Strong, masculine, sensuous 
male. 641-0248 E50 

HOT DOMINANT TOP 

BIG COCK - BIG BALLS 
James - 863-2431 E50 


LOOKING 

for a few intelligent, interesting, 
mature gents over 30 that would 
enjoy weekly sessions with a 
young, masc., handsome, u/c top 
with a long and x/thick toy to play 
with. "Peter" 552-9481 
80in-100out. Let's! E50 

NEW KID IN TOWN 

18, blue eyes, cut, bottom seeks 
discreet men 35 -t . 7,0/80. Chris¬ 
topher, 441-9859 , E50 

Alan, 23, 5'6", 135, hot white 
smooth ass, $35. 558-9656. 

E50 


ITALIAN STUD 

Lean, smooth, gentle & best of all 
... hung like a stallion. Mario, 
567-8682, $75_ E50 

J/0 & Exhib. Joe 928-5826 E5Q 

★ BAD BOYS SPANKED ★ 

Call Big Brother 861-6038 

E50 

Tall blk. husky hung stud for masc/ 
discreet men only. 452-1351 E50 

PAUL MUSCLEMAN 

50"c, 31 "w, 19"a, 928-0135 
E50 


PRETTY BOY 10x7" 

Smooth swimmer's build, 20, 
5'8", 140 lbs., in/out $100. Pix 
avail. Randy 655-01.33 E5i 

$20 - Hot athlete. Hung nice. 
• Bill, 441-1054. Massage, etc. 

E50 


• STRONG • 

SENSITIVE MAN 

Sensual massage+ , muscular, 
handsome, hairy, hung, hot. 24 
hrs. 648-5451 Andy E51 


Anything, anywhere... 

Nothing is taboo. 

CUNT: 626-6444 


The Connecter 

The Bay Area’s Exciting 
New Gay Play Line 

(415) 346-8747 

BOYISH STUD 

ADAM — W/M, 27, 
Great Buns, Hot-Hung, 
Extremely Handsome, 
Discreet, Versatile, 
Friendly. Rated tops 
in San Francisco. 
928-6165 


• MAGNUM FORCE • 

Move Over Dirty Hairy 
Adam: 29, 6' 44C, 31W. Hot as a 
pistol, cocked fully loaded 9V2 inch 
Barrel-Ready if you are. 

RICHARD OF SF. 821-3457 


SAN FRANCISCO'S FINEST 

MALE MODELS 
& COMPANIONS 

MALE MODELS & COMPANIONS 
FOR A NIGHT ON THE TOWN 
OR AN EVENING AT HOME 
21 to 35 Years of Age 

• Dinner - Dancing - Theatre 

• Sightseeing - Tour Guides 

• Birthday Presents 

• Nude Photography 

• Fashion Photography 

• Male Strippers For Business 
Or Private Parties 

RICHARD OF S.F. 
(415) 821-3457 


FF? WS? or? 

Inside massage: FF top expert, 
S/M? Young fox with uncut hose 
& body to get you on your knees! 
$100. Worth it! Safe. Healthy. 

VISA/MC ROD 441-7628 


POLK STREET ESCORT 
SERVICE 

Young, hot, masculine, mean or 
nice, intelligent or stupid 
$50-? “Chaperones,” parties 

arranged. 775-5260 


HANDSOME EX-MARINE 

with Big Thick Tool is’ looking 
for a few good men for a good 
heavy pumping. 

885-6309 


18 YEAR BLONDE 

Slender & Smooth, Friendly. 
Fully packed, 24 Hrs. 
Outcall. $50. 

ERICK 621-3348 


SUPER HUNG 

DOMINANT, HOT STUD 

Exclusively for those wanting a man 
"PLA YCIRL DISCO VER Y" 


DEREK 928-4255 

Leading San Francisco Model/Escort 



BLOND -HEALTHY-HUNG 

DAVID • 641-9272* $75 


Phone Sex 

The Electronic 
Glory Hole 

(415)346- 8747 


SOFTSMOOTH 
BLOND BOY 
BRUCE 
IN-OUT 
441-7190 


BLONDE BEACH BUM 

Norwegian Stud 
Hung, Very Handsome, 
Bodybuilder. W/M, 6’, 
190#,28, Discreet and 
Versatile. 
673-1141 


BAY AREA REPORTER DECEMBER 15, 1983 PAGE 41 






















































































































































BAY AREA REPORTER CLASSIFIEDS 


Hot Uncut Latin 
Super Hung Thick 
Handsome $75 
MIGUEL 824-3987 


WANT A REAL MAN? 

SUPERHUNG 

Hot German Stud 

BORG 861-8034 


Play Safe 

EROTIC JERK OFF 

SF'S PRETTIEST DICK 

Hairy Stud 

Dan 922-5398 


[ 


S&M 

Phone Sex 
346-JB747 


MOVING 
& HAULING 


PayLess Express 

• Expert Hauling • 

• 24-hr. Service • 

• $12/hr. (or by the job) * 
Free Estimates 387-6049 



KEITH 

for moving 


Call . . . 282-8410 


WE’LL TAKE 
YOUR LOAD 

A Relocation Service 
Since 1973 
Large enclosed van 
Every job owner supervised 
Reasonable rates 
Extremely careful 
Call Art 

282-8085 


Two Buddy Tile 

Custom Ceramic Tile Work 
Since 1977 

552-8437 


nr? 


Painting & Drywall 

¥ontuttafionl\ ila/chino 
• tfle/iatt / fMa// 


Hesselbarth 


Drapery - Upholstering 
Custom Fabrics 

8-5 M-S 563-3957 


EXPERT UPHOLSTERING 
Dave 931-3855 E5i 


HAULING ON WITH RON 

Reasonable Rates 285-9846 

EB 

Lotus Hauling to the dump $55 
dump fee & man 626-3131- E50 


UPKEEP & 
RENOVATION 


PAINTING INT/EXT 

Experienced, References 
Free Estimates, Chuck 776-2468 
•E50' 

CARPENTRY REPAIRS 

References available. Call or leave 
message. David 626-2142 E50 


MaxiTruck Movers 

35' TRUCK, LIFT GATE • SF, STATEWIDE 
HONEST • RELIABLE 
$25 HR., 1 MAN • $35 HR., 2 MEN 

24 HOURS 

564-6208 


AKT TRUCKING 
& MOVING 

■B|H| Licensed & Insured 

|J 1948 Union St. 

921-5333 





GEMINI 
MOVERS 




We can move your office, home 
or apartment at affordable rates. 
We are fully insured, provide free 
estimates and packing services. 


JOHN 

(41 5) 929-8609 


VIC 

(415) 552-4425 


ROOFING 

All Types - Complete or Patch 
Quality Work • References 
3-Year Guarantee 

John 641-8304 


ELECTRICAL 

CONTRACTOR 


I SERVICE CALL WORK 
I FAST RESPONSE 
I EMERGENCY- REPAIRS 
I ON-TIME, QUALITY WORK 

Cristopher 
Electric 

■So!? (415) 626-2314 


COMPLETE 

HOUSECLEANING 

Residential • Apartments 
Homes • Flats • Offices 
Walls • Windows • Stoves 
HONEST & RELIABLE 

We work Saturday & Sunday 

Arrangements Day or Eve. 

RICHARD'S MEN 
821-3330 

CARPETS STEAMCLEANED 


IO% OFF 

B. A.R. Classifieds 
call 

861-5019 

for details 


Cleaning 

Dynamics 

General Cleaning: Apartments, 
Office Buildings, Carpet Steaming, 
Wall Washing, Window Cleaning 

(415) 441-7208 


PEACHES PAINTING 

LOW COST INTERIOR'EXTERIOR PAINTING 
QUALITY WORKMANSHIP 
FREE ESTIMATES 

Jim/Ken 

863-8306 


HANDYMAN SERVICES 

Gcmeral Carpcmtry & Repairs 
Redwood Decks, Fences 
Mimor Electrical & Plumbi.mg 
Paimtimg - Locks - Maulimg 

Free Estimates 

Call Jack 626-7692 


Announcing a new Phone Service 
for Models & Massage people. 
For further information 
Call 635-1059 
Artists and Associates 


0A ichaeCs 


CABINETMAKERS 

D E.F.G.) ERIC & 
DANIEL 

FURNITURE 4 31 . 71 80 


RESUMES 

DONE WELL 

861-3724 for appointments. 


Shop for good Gay times 
in every issue of the 

Bay Area Reporter. 


fumturefystordtion 

Antiques a Specialty 

Stripping & Refinishing 
(thoughtfully done by hand) 
Custom Finishes 
In House Touch-up Work 
Estimates • Mover’s Insurance 

(415) 956-4016 


FITZGERALD 

ELECTRIC 

Commercial 

Residential 

285-1370 or 282-3720 

State License 402757 


MAILBOXES! 

Low as $7 - Our 7th Year 
2269 Market, next to Mall 


Housecleaning - exp., ref., wk-bi- 
monthly. Larry, 922-1150 E5i 

GRAPHIC DESIGN 
ILLUSTRATION • CARTOONIST 

552-5625 E50 


ORDER 


Classified form 


Deadline for each Thursday’s paper is NOON MONDAY. 
Payment MUST accompany ad. 

No ads taken over the phone. 

If you have a question, call (415) 861 -5019. 


V'* 




Indicate 
T ypefaces 

<z> 


D-Bold 

Bold 

Caps 

Reg 


Rates 


- CLASSIFIEDS 

► CAN BE SET 

► IN THESE TYPEFACES 
The above three lines are more 
expensive than the lines you 
are now reading but they pay 
off in increased readership 


FIRST LINE $4.50 

All Subsequent Lines 
$3.00 

ALL CAPS: Double 
price of lines for 19 
spaces. 

ALL BOLD: Double 
price of lines for 16 
spaces. 

ALL DOUBLE 

BOLD: Triple price 
of lines for 12 
spaces. 

DISPLAY RATES 

UPON REQUEST 


METHOD OF PAYMENT 

{Please Check Onei 

□ Money Order 

□ Personal Check 

□ Visa 

□ Master Charge 



NAME__ 

ADDRESS _ 
CITY_ 


.PHONE. 


NO. OF ISSUES_CLASSIFICATION: 


.STATE._ 

AMOUNT ENCLOSED. 


. ZIP . 


Card No . 
" Interbank 
No_ 


Expiration 
Date_ 


Signature 


Deliver or mail with Oayment to. Bay Area Reporter. 1528 15th Street. San Francisco. CA 94103 


BAY AREA REPORTER DECEMBER 15, 1983 PAGE 42 































































































































































































GAY AREAS TELEPHONE DIRECTORY 

They’re Here! 


Polk 

Polk Gulch 1100 Polk 

White Swallow 1750 Polk 

Johnson Tam Leather Mfg. 1808 Polk 

Ben Her 1215 Polk 

Essex Hotel 684 Ellis 

His & Hers 1301 Polk 

Buffalo Whole Food & Vitamin Co. 1058 Hyde 

Fillmore 

The Listening Post 2222 Fillmore 
Alamo Square Saloon 600 Fillmore 
Cap Boot & Shoe Repair 601 Haight 

Mission 

Gold’s Gym 310 Valencia 
Irish Rover 1498 Valencia 
Fickle Fox 842 Valencia 
Bell Bazaar 3030 16th St. 

Amelia’s 647 Valencia 
Women’s Building 3543 18th St. 

Tip Top Piano Shop 807 Valencia 

Noe Valley 

A Cut Above Castro 1364 Castro 
EITesoro 1236 Castro 
News on 24th 3920 24th St. 


A DIVISION OF 

GAY INTERNATIONAL INC. 

Haight 

T.C.O. 1364 Haight 
Dish Corner of Haight & Masonic 
Recycled Records 1377 Haight 
Maud’s 937 Cole 
Bloomingsales 919A Cole 

South of Market 

C’est Si Bon 201 9th St. 

Dial A Tire 368 11th St. 

The Stud 1535 Folsom 
The Arena 399 9th St. 

Baybrick Inn 1190 Folsom 

Hayes Valley 

Gough Hayes Hotel 417 Gough 
Metropolis 517 Laguna 
Ivy Hotel 539 0ctavia 
Art Picture Frame 519 Hayes 

East Bay 

Montclair Hair Design 2063 Mountain Blvd., 
2nd FI., Oakland 

All American Smile 1642 Franklin, Oakland 
Things Tagalog 30 Jack London Sq., Oakland 

Peninsula 

William H. Lipil, M.D. & Dennis J. McShane, 
M.D., 52 Arch, Suite 4, Redwood City 


Castro 

Atlas Savings & Loan 4126 18th St. 

Dino’s Liquors 4122 18th St. 

Pendulum 4146 18th St. 

Moby Dick 4049 18th St. 

Midnight Sun 4067 18th St. 

Does Your Mother Know 4079 18th St. 
Sausage Factory 517 Castro 
Cafe San Marcos 2367 Market 
Elephant Walk 500 Castro 
Gramophone 432 Castro 
Castro Gardens 550 Castro 
Gay Areas Directory 4131 18th St. 

Sunset 

Partin Real Estate 1443 Noriega 

Downtown 

Cable Car Travel & Tours 291 Geary, Suite 19 

Russian River 

Fern Grove 
Rainbow Cattle Co. 

Fire Mountain Lodge 

River Travel > 

San Jose 

Renegade 393 Stockton 


BAY AREA REPORTER DECEMBER 15, 1983 PAGE 43 










Golden Gate Performing Arts respectfully invites you to witness the 

San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus 

performing, in response to public Demand, its 4th Annual holiday Concert. . . 



which may be personified as a Phantasmagoria of musical Delights to gladden the hearts of young & old! 



Savor the vocal Felicities & harmonious Moods of the 

Lesb ian/Ga y Chorus 


Thrill to the yuletide Strains & artful Vigor of the 

S.F. Gay Freedom Day Marching 
Band & Twirling Corps 


Provoked by general acclamation, this Spectacle will be presented upon two timely Occasions: 

Sunday, Dec . 18, & Saturday, Dec . 24,1983 


commencing promptly at 7:30 o’clock at the venerable 
Nourse A uditoinutfly 275 Hayes St . a t Franklin, in San Francisco (formerly Yerba 


Buena) 


TICKETS OF ADMISSION purveyed at these Establishments in the city: 

GGPA Phone-charge (864-0326); Union Square’s STBS Ticket Booth; Headlines (Polk St. & Castro St.) 
PRICED at $6, Balcony general admission — $8, Orchestra general admission — 

$10, Patron loge reserved seats ($10 seats SOLD OUT for Dec. 18) 

[NOTICE - A rumor is afoot, to wit: that the evening’s Merriment will be capped by the 
rrival from Northern Climes of a certain rotund, whitebearded Person of jolly Aspect, 
who will permit a stupendous SING-ALONG of those happy Patrons present!] 

Wheelchair Accessible